At My Most Beautiful
by SorryxSorry
Summary: Peyton left for New York six months ago to start a new life. When she suddenly returns to Tree Hill in desperate need of help, who will come to her rescue?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Tree Hill.

**Summary:** Peyton left for New York six months ago to start a new life. When she suddenly returns to Tree Hill in desperate need of help, who will come to her rescue?

**Rating: **T for some violence and language.

I don't have a set plan for updates; however, I'll try to get a new chapter up every few days (possible once a day if I have time).

Reviews are appreciated, as always.

Lucas Scott crawled under the warm, cozy blanket on his bed. It had been quite a long day for him. He and Brooke had been together since early that morning. They hadn't talked in a while, but the flame in their relationship was restored nearly minutes into their day. Lucas loved Brooke more than ever. She made him truly happy; every moment he was with her he found himself smiling. He held feelings for her deeper than anything he'd felt before. Haley was his best friend, but he didn't feel the same spark when he was around her. The other girls he'd been with had been fun, but his relationships with them weren't anything serious. In fact, as far as he knew the only girls he'd ever felt this way about were Brooke and… Peyton.

Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer. Lucas smiled to himself as an image of the thin, curly-headed blonde popped into his head. Peyton was a truly amazing girl. Best friend of Brooke and ex-girlfriend of his brother, Nathan, Peyton was fiery and headstrong. She had a deep passion for music and art and could always be found in her room, blasting some unknown punk track and sketching meaningful (and sometimes sad) pictures. Lucas and Peyton had a bit of a history: when he first started dating Brooke, he ended up realizing that he liked Peyton more and they had gone behind Brooke's back. When Brooke had discovered their unfaithfulness, she had severed ties with them both. Months later, however, Brooke found her way back to Peyton and eventually fixed her relationship with Lucas. He had remained close friends with Peyton, sometimes feeling the spark between them coming back, but they never took a different step in their relationship.

And then one day she just left. She took off, only to write him and call occasionally. She was out of their lives, out of his life, completely. And Lucas could recall the memory of that day perfectly, as though it had happened yesterday.

"_Peyton? What are you doing?"_

_The blonde girl looked up to see Lucas standing in the doorway to her room. Her eyes widened in shock. She shifted her body so she was facing him completely, trying to block the bed from his view, but she was too late. He'd already seen._

"_Why is there a suitcase on your bed?" Lucas questioned her, stepping into her room. The bright red walls look unnaturally bare. He could tell that she'd taken down most of her artwork. "Are you going on vacation?"_

_Peyton hesitated for a moment. Her forehead wrinkled as she quickly tried to think of something to say. Taking a deep breath, she responded, "You could say that..."_

_Lucas grinned. "Don't think you can get away with being vague to me. I know you're up to something. Spill, Sawyer, or I'll just have to torture it out of you."_

_But he could tell from the way her eyes dropped to the floor that this was no laughing matter. Peyton looked lost, upset. She seemed to be struggling with the decision to tell him something. Stepping forward, he placed a hand on her thin, bare arm. Peyton shuddered slightly at his cold touch before raising her eyes to meet him._

"_I- Lucas, I meant to tell you earlier. I really wanted to. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I-I'm really sorry. I should've let you know."_

_Lucas's brow furrowed. "Meant to tell me what?"_

_Peyton sighed. Her eyes looked glossy but he couldn't understand why. His heart was racing now as worry filled his stomach. Placing his hand under her chin, he lifted her face to his. Peyton bit her bottom lip before speaking._

"_Lucas, I'm going to New York. And-and I'm not coming back. Not for a while, at least. I'm sorry."_

_He stepped back, his stomach dropping. A single tear fell down her cheek as she stared at him with sad eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, and then turned to face the door. Breathing hard out his nose, he turned back to her. He could easily see that she was upset; her face was becoming pale and her lip was quivering as though she were about to sob._

"_When do you leave?"_

_It was all he could think to ask. He didn't know why she was leaving, and he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to know._

"_My flight leaves at 9:30 tomorrow morning. I'm leaving the house at 7:00," she replied softly._

_Lucas let out a low whistle. Giving a harsh laugh, he snapped, "So you were just gonna up and leave without telling anyone? What, you were gonna write me a letter once you were gone saying, 'By the way, Lucas, I decided to move out'?"_

_Peyton ran a hand through her unruly hair. She seemed stressed and upset by the conversation. "Lucas, I'm sorry. I just really need to leave, okay?"_

"_Yeah, well…" Lucas turned his back on her and walked to the door. When he reached the frame, he looked back. She stood in the middle of the room, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "Good luck with New York. I hope you find your new life better than this one."_

_And as he slammed the door shut, he heard her let out a loud, frantic sob._

That had all happened six months ago. A week after that night he'd gotten a letter from her. She had apologized numerous times throughout, explaining to him that she needed a fresh start. Her life had been anything but simple in Tree Hill, full of drama, drugs, and death. He knew he was being selfish for not understanding her decision, but he didn't care. When she had first left, he felt like he'd lost a part of himself. It had taken weeks before he could focus again. He wasn't sure he'd ever be the same.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Turning onto his side, he glanced at the digital clock on the table beside his bed. The neon-green light flashed, "2:52 AM". As he lifted the clock to make sure he'd read it right, he heard another, much louder, knock on the door.

"All right, I'm coming," he called, getting to his feet. Groping around in the dark for a shirt, he jumped at another harsh banging on the door.

"Jesus Christ," he murmured as he put the shirt over his head and walked to the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Keep your pants on!"

The brass doorknob felt cold on his fingers as he turned it and pulled the door open. It only took his eyes a second to adjust to the dim light outside from streetlights and stars. As he took in what was standing in front of him, his blue eyes widened. He felt his jaw dropping open.

Standing in the doorway was Peyton Sawyer.

She looked much different than she had the last time he'd seen her: she looked thinner (almost sickly) and her hair had been chopped short and uneven, as though she'd done it herself. Her clothes looked incredibly large and dirty. She had an old, army-green backpack slung over her right shoulder. But what caught his attention most wasn't her hair. It wasn't her unnaturally thin body or her tired demeanor. It wasn't even her crass attire.

It was the black eye.

It was the long, bright red scratch running the length of her cheek. It was the purple marks on her neck and chest, the way her left wrist seemed to be bent at an odd angle. And it was the way she was looking at him with fear in her hazel eyes.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Peyton?" It was all he could think to say. "What- what are you-"

She spoke again, her voice starting at a small whisper and raising with each word, until it broke into a sob at the final syllable. "Do you think…can I stay here…for the night?"

Looking at her, hearing her speak, broke his heart. He could feel himself shaking, could hear his heart beating against his chest as he forced a small smile at her. "Of course you can. C'mon in."

She walked past him slowly and nervously, putting as little weight as she could on her left foot. As she stepped by him he saw more cuts on her face, as well as a bright purple bruise on her left shoulder and what looked like a handprint on the side of her neck. She averted her eyes from him and stepped into the room.

With a feeling of great unease, he closed the door and turned to face her for the first time in six months.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews! And yes, this will be a Leyton story. It will have some Brucas undertones, but let's just say that Leyton will come through by the end.

I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. I have to set up for Eater tomorrow and then Sunday is Easter, so the earliest I could update is Monday (and that depends on how much homework I'll have). But I'll try my best to get the next chapter up ASAP.

"Here you go."

Lucas handed the large mug of hot tea to Peyton. He had rushed into the kitchen to make her something warm to drink the moment she had sat down, trying his best to avoid talking to her. He wanted to get his mind clear before they discussed her state.

"Thank you," Peyton replied quietly. She was sitting on the edge of his bed, her stuffed backpack at her feet. She still hadn't taken off her jacket, as though she were frightened of revealing more bruises to him.

"So," Lucas began, taking a seat next to her, "are you gonna tell me?"

Peyton lifted the dark purple mug to her lips. Raising her eyebrows, she said innocently, "Tell you what?"

Lucas ran a hand through his unruly hair as Peyton took a sip of the tea. He heaved a great sigh before responding. "The name of the guy who did this to you."

Peyton choked on her hot drink. Lifting her hand in front of her mouth, she coughed several times until her throat was clear. "And what," she began quietly, her voice somewhat hoarse, "would make you think someone did this to me? Because no one did this to me. I'm just clumsy, that's all."

Even she could tell her excuse was lame, but it was all she had. The truth was the only excuse for her cuts and bruises was that someone had beaten her up. She just didn't want to tell Lucas that.

"I _know_ someone did this to you." Lucas glanced sideways at Peyton, his blue eyes blazing with buried anger. "I know some guy hurt you because you're covered in bruises, I know what men are capable of, and, quite frankly, I understand what kind of guys you go for."

Peyton gave a small chuckle as she placed her mug on Lucas's bedside table. "Hey, I went for you, didn't I?" she teased, punching him lightly on the arm.

Lucas raised his eyebrows at her to show that he didn't find it funny. This situation was anything but a joke to him. He was angry, upset, confused, and worried. He didn't understand how she could just laugh it off like her wrist wasn't killing her or the scratch on her cheek wasn't bleeding slightly. When he spoke, his voice was cold and angry. "Don't change the subject."

"Don't judge me!" Peyton snapped, turning her head to face him. "Don't try and force this out of me! If I don't want to talk then I don't have to." She felt like she was going to throw up. Her stomach was churning and her face suddenly felt hot and sweaty. Staring Lucas straight in the eye, she took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.

Lucas raised both hands in the air in defeat. Pursing his lips, he glanced up at the ceiling before staring Peyton back in the face. "Fine," he said simply. "Fine. We won't talk about it." Peyton nodded happily at his words, glad to have gotten her way. Ignoring her, Lucas continued. "I guess I just can't understand why you'd let someone treat you like that."

Peyton's blood began to boil again at his words. _Let _someone treat her that way? She whipped around to face him again, looking appalled. "_Let him?_ I didn't _let_ him treat me that way, okay?"

Lucas shrugged before continuing. "Well it looks like you let him to me. A lot of your bruises are old. And since you just now showed up, I can only guess that this has been going on for a while. So up until now, you didn't even try to get out of it." Tilting his head sideways, he gazed at her face, as though challenging her to correct him. "You just let it happen."

Peyton stood abruptly, her entire body suddenly shaking. "Great job, Luke," she huffed as her eyes filled with tears. "Really, you're doing a great job adding insult to injury here. Just keep on kicking me while I'm down, why don't you? You're really great at it, and Lord knows I really enjoy it." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, but it was obvious that his words had hurt her deeply.

Peyton reached down to grab her bag, her breathing coming in short and quick gasps. Mentally kicking himself, Lucas got to his feet. Peyton swung her bag over her right shoulder and began to walk slowly to the door. Lucas rushed toward her and grabbed her upper arm. She stopped in place but didn't turn to look at him.

"Look, I'm sorry," Lucas began. "I'm really sorry, Peyton. I was being an ass. You're the victim here. I didn't mean to be such a jerk. Would you please just sit down?" He moved his hand to the strap of her backpack and slowly took it off her. "You're in no state to go walking around Tree Hill. We don't have to talk about this. But you can't leave."

Setting the bag on the floor, he moved his hand to her back and rubbed it comfortingly. Peyton's shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. For a while they stood like that, in complete silence. Finally, her shaking subsided and she lifted her hand to rub her eyes. Turning to face him, Peyton forced a small smile.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said sadly. "I'm too tired. We can talk tomorrow."

Lucas grinned, trying his hardest to seem happy. Inside he was screaming. _Do something! Make her see a doctor! Find out who did it and kick his ass! Get her some fucking food, she's skin and bones! _Putting an arm lightly around her shoulders, he led her back to his bed.

"Here," he said. "You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the flo-"

"Oh, no," Peyton interrupted, pushing away from him. "I'm not taking the bed. It's yours. You sleep there and I'll take the floor." Wrapping her arms around herself, she attempted to smile at him.

Lucas groaned, tilting his head back so he was facing the ceiling. "I'm not taking the bed," he murmured as he placed his hands over his eyes. "Look, you're my guest, you're in bad shape, and you look like you haven't had a decent sleep in months. Take the stupid bed. I'm fine on the floor."

Dropping his head, he glared at her. His eyes seemed to speak for him- _You're on the bed and that's final. _He couldn't stand the thought of her on the hard floor. It could definitely be murder on her already battered body. She needed to feel safe and comfortable, and at the moment all he could offer her was a nice bed to sleep in.

Peyton huffed loudly, giving in. She knew his intentions were good, and even though she wanted to be a good guest she was having trouble denying the comfortable mattress in front of her. "Let me at least help you get set up down there," she offered, grabbing one of the blankets.

Folding the blanket in half, Peyton attempted to make a comfortable base for Lucas to sleep on. She sprawled the blanket out on the floor, removing anything in the way. Lucas reached onto the bed and grabbed two of the four pillows. Together they set up his bed on the floor. It was almost like old times, times before Peyton disappeared to New York, as though it weren't 3:30 in the morning and one of his closest friends wasn't completely black and blue.

As Lucas reached for the edge of the blanket to straighten out, his arm collided harshly with Peyton's left wrist. She reacted almost instantly: gasping in pain, she pulled her arm closely to her body, her breathing ragged. Tears began to pour out of her eyes uncontrollably as she winced in pain, holding her arm limply like an injured puppy.

"I'm sorry," Lucas gasped, crawling closer to her. "Oh God, Peyton, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you okay?" He reached for her wrist. At first Peyton pulled back, but when he grabbed her arm again she gave in. Pulling the sleeve of her grey jacket back, Lucas stared down at her wrist. What he saw made him gasp in horror.

Peyton's entire wrist was completely black. It was bruised all the way around, at least four inches up and down. The wrist seemed unstable and limp, and the hand beyond it was pale and freezing to the touch.

"Peyton!" Lucas gasped. "Have you seen a doctor for this? It looks completely broken!"

As Lucas looked up at her with concerned eyes, Peyton dropped her head in shame. Lucas felt his hear breaking again for the second time that night. He fought the urge to rage and scream. Instead, he dropped her arm gently and pulled her into a hug. Peyton whimpered against him, wrapping her right arm around his waist tightly, as though she were afraid to let go. Lucas closed his eyes, nuzzling his face into her blonde curls, breathing in the faded scent of her strawberry shampoo.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. His shirt became wet from her tears but it didn't faze him. He continued to squeeze her, letting her know that he was there for her and he cared about her more than anything. Eventually her breathing became more even, and he could feel her heartbeat slowing down again. They remained in the embrace for a few more minutes before Peyton finally pulled away, dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

For a moment they both stared at the floor in silence. An awkward tension hung in the room as both tried to think of something to say. Lucas realized his foot had fallen asleep; he began to hit it against the floor, breaking the silence. After a few more minutes Peyton looked up.

Lucas felt a twinge of hurt as he stared into her eyes. They were unrecognizable. Before Peyton had left, her hazel eyes had always held something. When she was drawing or listening to music they glowed with passion; when she was angry they seemed to be on fire; when she had kissed him they had light up as bright as the stars outside. Even when she had showed up tonight, her eyes had held something- a dark, unspeakable fear. But at that moment they were empty of any emotion. They were dark, dull, and clouded over. She looked lost, completely detached from the world around her, as though all the hurt and pain she'd been through had taken over her entire soul. Lucas was at a loss for words. He simply stared back at her, his stomach churning.

"I'm, uh…I'm gonna go to bed," Peyton muttered, getting to her feet. She dove onto the bed quickly and covered herself completely with blankets, as though any moment longer on the ground with Lucas would be the death of her.

Lucas sat up more and placed her hand on her back. He felt her flinch slightly under his touch but ignored it. "Peyton," he began gently, "I want you to see a doctor tomorrow. Your wrist looks really bad."

Peyton raised her head and stared back at him in shock. "I can't see a doctor!" Her voice was suddenly loud and high-pitched, almost hysterical. Her breathing became ragged again as she continued on. "They're just going to ask how it happened! What am I supposed to say? They'll drag the police in and try me make me talk!" Tears spilled down her cheeks once again as she buried her head in the pillow.

Lucas scratched the back of his neck, his head spinning. _She doesn't want to deal with it. She can't deal with it. _His eyes began to fill with tears as the realization struck him. It hurt him to see her in so much pain. Rubbing his hand up and down her back, he replied softly. "They can't make you talk, Peyton. If someone hurt you, you have to press charges. The police can't do anything unless you ask them to. You've got nothing to worry about, Peyton. I'll be there with you. I can tell them to leave you alone if they try to ask you anything." He took a deep breath and continued. "But I need you to do this. I'm worried enough about you. Your arm looks really bad. I don't want it to get any worse."

Peyton laid in silence for a while, her breathing becoming steadier. Finally, she rolled onto her bed and propped herself up on her elbows. Her pale face was blotchy, her cheeks stained from tears. Clearing her throat, she muttered, "Okay, I'll go. But I don't want you telling the doctors to leave me alone if they ask me about it."

Lucas raised his eyebrows at her. "Why not?"

"Because," Peyton began, a sad smile playing at her lips, "then they'll think you're the one who hurt me, and I don't want that." She sighed deeply as Lucas nodded in agreement. Glancing at the bedside clock, she was shocked to see that it was nearly five in the morning. "Lucas, I'm tired. I'm exhausted. We should go to sleep." Flopping back against the pillows, she pulled the blanket over herself and turned on her side. "Good night."

Lucas stared at Peyton's back with a half open mouth before lying back against his pillow also. Reaching his arm up, he twisted the light off. He attempted to close his eyes and sleep, but found himself lying with open eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. He lied there for nearly half an hour, the night's events swirling around inside his head. His heart was still racing, his mind full of confusion and worry. He could tell by the unsteadiness of her breathing that she was awake too. Running his hands over his face, he forced himself to speak.

"Peyton," he called into the darkness.

It was a few seconds before she responded. "Yeah?"

Lucas bit his lip, wondering if he should speak his mind or not. He didn't want to frighten her, but at the same time he knew something needed to be said, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't say it right away.

"Please don't keep this from me. You have to tell me at some point. You have to tell me who did this. You have to explain what happened and what he did and how often and everything. You can't keep this to yourself. Because if you do, it's all going to build up inside until you completely break down. You need to talk about this with someone. And I'm always here to listen. I want to help you. You need to talk."

Silence.

"You know that, right?"

More silence. Lucas held his breath as he waited for Peyton to respond. His heart was racing faster than it had all night. On the bed, Peyton shifted uncomfortable. Her eyes were wide and fearful, her heart pounding against her ribcage. She sat in silence for a while longer, a sob threatening to escape her. As she breathed in deeply, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"…yeah. I know."


	3. Chapter 3

I had some extra time on my hands and decided to do another chapter today. Thanks again for the reviews. I'm happy you're all enjoying the story.

As for when we will find out what happened to Peyton- her entire experience in New York will be revealed through flashbacks throughout the story. Some of the time an entire chapter will be devoted to a flashback, and sometimes it'll just be a small part. You'll get you're first taste of flashbacks in this chapter.

The next one will be up sometime after tomorrow, hopefully Monday or Tuesday. Have a Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!

Peyton rolled onto her back, shielding her eyes against the bright sunlight coming in through the windows. Propping herself up on her elbows, she shifted her head to the left and down. Lucas was lying on his stomach atop the bed they had made together. His head was turned toward her, his eyes closed lightly. He seemed to have just drifted off to sleep. Not wanting to wake him, Peyton pursed her lips tightly. Sitting up straighter, she put her head in her hands.

The cold touch of her palms against her eyelids woke her immediately. Peyton rubbed her face tiredly with her hands and threw her head back, breathing in heavily. It was hard to imagine that just a few hours ago she had been standing outside Lucas's door, her hand raised to knock, afraid of his reaction. And now she was sitting in his bed, watching him sleep on the floor, feeling safe for the first time in months.

Dropping her chin to her chest, Peyton shut her eyes tight. A part of her couldn't believe she had gotten into this mess. Peyton had never been the girl to let men walk all over her. _Nathan, _she reminded herself with a small smile. True, she hadn't exactly stopped Nathan from treating her badly, but Nathan never hit her. He never shot his fist across her face, never pushed her to the floor and kicked her repeatedly in the stomach.

Peyton heaved a great sigh as she shot back against the pillows. She knew Lucas wanted her to talk about what had happened in New York, but she wasn't sure she wanted to share it with him. For one thing, she was frightened that he would go looking for the guy who did it. And on the other hand, she was ashamed. She didn't want Lucas to know because she didn't want him thinking any less of her. She hated herself enough already for not getting out of the situation from the first moment. She had been so close to leaving the first time he'd hit her. A part of her still didn't understand why she had turned back.

"_Kyle, I'm home."_

_Peyton stepped onto the maroon carpet of her new apartment. Her boyfriend of two months, Kyle, was reclining in the leather chair in front of the television, watching Family Guy. As she began to take off her shoes, Peyton watched Kyle turn off the television and stand up. She could tell almost immediately that he had been drinking; he stumbled slightly and his eyes seemed dazed and unfocused._

_Kyle stopped directly in front of Peyton. He was nearly a foot taller than her, with very dark hair and eyes. There was dark stubble along his jaw: he hadn't shaved in a few days. Peyton raised her hazel eyes to his brown ones. There was a fire in his eyes. He was angry._

"_Where've you been?" Kyle muttered. "I was waiting for you."_

_Peyton gave him a small smile. "I told you," she grinned, "last night. I went out to dinner with some people from work. From the record store. We thought we'd catch up on the 'latest gossip'."_

_Kyle raised his eyebrows. "What people?" he asked coolly._

_Punching him lightly on the arm, Peyton laughed. "Why so interested? It was just me, Jenna, and Matt."_

_Kyle shifted slightly as she finished her response. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he asked coldly, "So you went out with a guy dressed like that?"_

_Peyton stepped back. She suddenly understood why he seemed so angry. Glancing down at her attire- jeans and a thin strapped top- she asked, "What's so wrong with what I'm wearing?"_

_Kyle threw his head back and laughed harshly. Eyes widening, he snapped, "Well you might want to wear a bra next time. Your boobs are hanging out."_

_Peyton blinked. Biting her bottom lip, she pushed past Kyle into the living room. He followed suit. When she was standing near the couch, she turned around to face him. The anger in her face matched his. She was positively fuming._

"_Just shut up. Don't you dare call me a whore." Peyton stepped closer to Kyle, breathing in the harsh mix of beer and cigarettes from his mouth. "I didn't do anything, okay? So stop accusing me like this. Grow up."_

_As Peyton turned toward the kitchen, Kyle grabbed her arm. She winced slightly at his harsh grip. Wheeling around, she saw that his jaw was tightened in anger. He looked absolutely livid. _

"_Don't tell me to grow up," he growled in a low voice. "I'm working my ass off six days a week to keep this apartment while you go out to dinner with every boy you meet. If I want to suspect you of messing around I can. I have every right."_

_Peyton yanked her arm out of his grasp, feeling her own anger rising. Raising her voice to a yell, she snapped back, "You don't have any right at all! I'm not messing around! So just back off! God, what the hell is wrong with you?"_

_Kyle's face screwed up in anger as he clenched his teeth together. "Shut the hell up!" he ordered, his entire body shaking with anger. Peyton was in shock; she'd never seen him this way before._

"_Don't you dare tell me what to do," she roared back, her heart pounding. "Leave me the hell al-"_

_She wasn't sure how it happened. Once second she was screaming at the top of her lungs; the next, his hand came flying across her face. The force of it knocked her off her feet- she landed with a thud on the hard floor. Tears immediately formed in her eyes. Her cheek was stinging, but she barely noticed it. What hurt her more was the shock._

_She couldn't think. Her head was spinning with all the shouts from earlier. She suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Above her, Kyle's mouth opened in surprise. He didn't seem to believe he'd actually hit her. Peyton crawled backwards away from him, turning her head up toward him. He was staring at her with pleading eyes._

_The next few minutes were a blur to her. She didn't remember standing up, but the next moment she found herself in her and Kyle's bedroom, piling clothes into her green backpack. She ran to the closet and grabbed a few shirts, pants, and undergarments. She wasn't even thinking about what she was grabbing. She was just focused on going as fast as she could._

_Kyle appeared in the doorway. "Peyton, babe, I'm sorry. What are you doing?"_

"_Getting the hell away from you," Peyton shot back, grabbing a white baseball cap from under the bed._

_Kyle walked towards her slowly, regret etched over his face. "Peyton, no. Please, I'm so sorry. Just- let me explain. Please!"_

_Zipping up her bag, Peyton pulled it over her left shoulder. She pushed past Kyle, keeping her eyes straight ahead on the door. Her cheek had stopped stinging by now, but as she passed the mirror she saw that it was bright red. She could hear Kyle rushing to catch up with her as she neared the front door._

_Peyton paused to slip into her shoes. In the time she wasn't walking Kyle jumped in front of her and fell to his knees, between her and the front door. He held his hands out to prevent her from getting around him. Peyton shot daggers at him with her eyes. Crossing her arms, she snapped, "Get the hell out of my way!"_

_Kyle looked up at her. "Peyton, don't leave," he beseeched her, tears threatening to form in his eyes. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to snap like that! I don't know what happened! It'll never happen again, I promise. Please don't walk out like this."_

_Peyton unfolded her arms and raised her eyebrows. She threw her hands into the air in anger. "You fucking hit me! You slapped me! Why the hell should I trust you, huh? Give me one good reason not to leave!"_

_Pushing her way past him, Peyton reached for the front doorknob. She heard Kyle get to his feet and turn towards her. Just as she was about to turn the knob, Kyle spoke. His voice sounded tearful now._

"_Peyton, please. I'm sorry. I just had such a terrible day. Jeff refused my request for a raise. I've been upset about it for hours. I've such been such an ass to you and you didn't deserve any of it. I never meant to hurt you. Please. Just stay."_

_At his words, Peyton froze. She felt a sudden wave of sympathy for him- his boss, Jeff, was a complete ass, giving him the lowest pay in the company despite that fact that he worked harder than anyone. Understanding clouded her brain, as much as she didn't want it to. Taking her hand off the doorknob, she dropped the bag from her shoulder. Kyle sniffed slightly as Peyton turned toward him._

"_Babe, I'm sorry," Kyle repeated, reaching out to grab her hand. Peyton reluctantly accepted, taking a step toward him. "That was so wrong of me. But I need you here more than anything. Please don't leave."_

_Peyton tilted her head slightly to the side. She hesitated, unsure of what to say. Her brain was screaming, "_Get out! Leave!"_, but her heart was telling her to listen to him. She took a deep, calming breath and another step toward him._

"_Kyle," she began, her voice low and tentative. "I-I-"_

_Kyle's eyes searched her face as he reached his hand up. He stroked her cheek in a comforting way. Peyton bit her lip._

"_I'll stay. It's okay. I forgive you."_

_She hated herself the moment the words escaped her mouth. Her heart was still racing, her mind screaming at her for giving up that easily. But some weight was lifted off her shoulders as he let out a sigh of relief and pulled her into a tight embrace. After a few seconds, Peyton put her arms around him too. They held each other for what seemed like hours, until she finally pulled away. Kyle looked back at her with a sad smile._

"_I love you so much," he stated simply. "You know that, right?"_

_Peyton swallowed heavily and took his hand. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to block out the thoughts in her head. Opening them, she gave him a wan smile._

"_Yeah, I know."_

Peyton snapped her eyes open. The memory of that night made her sick. She still couldn't believe that she'd actually taken him back that easily. The thought of it made her want to hurl herself off a building. Had she really been that stupid?

Below her, Lucas let out a loud grunt and rolled onto his back. She heard him yawning and shifting but remained where she was. Finally, she heard him stand up. His shadow was cast over her and she moved her eyes to his face. Lucas looked exhausted, but he gave her a forced smile all the same.

"Hey you," he said, leaning over and pulling a strand of hair off her face. "How'd you sleep?"

Pushing herself into a sitting position, Peyton gave a small shrug. The truth was she hadn't slept at all. The entire night she had shifted uncomfortably to different positions, her mind clogged with upsetting thoughts. She had thought she would've been able to sleep easily, considering she hadn't had a full night's sleep in weeks and she was finally on a warm bed, but she had been wrong.

Lucas gave her a toothy grin. "Yeah, me neither," he laughed, reading her mind. Sitting down next to her on his bed, Lucas took Peyton's hand in his. She swallowed heavily, raising her eyes to meet his. His face had become suddenly serious again. "So…today."

Peyton gave a small smile. She had been expecting this. The heavy discussion about their plans for her. Whether she would go to a doctor or not, where she was going to stay from now on, who they should tell she was back, or if she was going to tell him the full story. She laughed inside her head. Lucas was so predictable sometimes.

"Today," Peyton repeated. "Today, I will go to the doctor. My wrist is killing me."

Lucas smiled, satisfied by her words. "Good," he said, "Because I didn't want to have to drug you and drag you there."

Peyton laughed loudly. It was the first time she had gave a true smile in weeks. Lucas put his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. Peyton's heart began beating faster as he wrapped his arms around her. She pulled away rather quickly, slightly red in the face. Lucas also looked flustered, and for a moment they both stared in opposite direction as they regained composure.

"So," Lucas began awkwardly. "Breakfast. What are you up for?"

Peyton's stomach gave a loud growl at the word. She sat up a little straighter, her mouth watering at the thought of a real meal. She had been living on bags of chips for nearly two days.

"Oh, God, do you have pancakes?"

Lucas nodded, smiling slightly at how excited she seemed for food. "I always have pancakes."

Peyton's eyes widened in excitement. She thought for another moment, then added, "And sausage? And bacon? And maybe some hash browns?"

Lucas burst out laughing again. He could tell she hadn't had a decent meal in a long time. "I'll tell you what," he smiled. "How about we go down to the Café? I'm sure you can get anything you want there."

Peyton dropped her head at his suggestion and Lucas immediately regretted saying it. There was no way she wanted to go out in public in that shape. In fact, as far as he understood he was the only one who knew she was back, who had seen her. He immediately retaliated, "Well, I'll go pick it up. You can stay here and take a shower if you'd like."

Peyton looked back up at him, forcing a smile. "Sounds like a plan," she chatted in a falsely cheery voice. "We can eat together when you get back."

Lucas smiled at her, and then reached into his dresser. Pulling out his cell phone and car keys, he said, "So I'll go down there now, and you can go get freshened up."

They walked out of his bedroom together in silence. Stepping out the door, they walked off in opposite directions. Peyton glanced back at Lucas.

"See you in a bit, I guess."


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, I'm back to update! Thanks again for more reviews. And yes, at the moment in this story Lucas and Brooke are together. Don't let that upset you! I did say this was a Leyton fic, didn't I?**

**I should have another chapter up tomorrow. But in the odd instance that I don't, I'll warn you right now that I won't update on Wednesdays. Sorry, but that's my TV night. I've got ANTM, OTH (when it isn't on a stupid hiatus) and Lost, so my entire day resolves around school and television. :) But I'm pretty darn sure I'll be updating tomorrow. I've already got the chapter completely planned out. **

**For now, here's a nice update.**

Lucas stepped into Karen's Café, the familiar scent of warm food causing his mouth water. Glancing ahead at the counter, he saw his mother washing it off with a wet rag. She looked up as he came in and smiled.

"Good morning Luke," Karen greeted as Lucas took a seat at the counter. "You're up pretty early."

Lucas smiled and stretched his arms out in front of him, his jaw opening in a long yawn. Reaching a hand up to ruffle his messy hair, he replied, "Yeah, I just thought I'd pick something up to eat. I'm starving."

Karen smiled and threw the rag under the counter. "Well luckily for you," she began, "the morning rush just left. And you wonder why I hate weekends." Pulling out a pad of ordering paper and poising a pen above it, she said in a business tone, "So what'll it be?"

Lucas took a deep breath before rattling off his order. "I'll have two set of pancakes, some hash browns, toast, sausage, a glass of orange juice and…some bacon." He paused for a moment to make sure he hadn't missed anything. "To go," he added simply.

Karen raised her eyebrows at him. "Hungry much? You're eating enough for two!"

Lucas laughed. "Yeah, well."

Karen reached across the counter and grabbed his arm. "Lucas Scott," she said in a playfully stern voice, "are you hiding hungry girls in your bedroom?" She let out a loud laugh at her joke, while Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his seat and gave a forced smile.

"Well," Karen smiled, turning away, "I'm never gonna finish this order if I don't start now. It'll be done…when it's done." She walked quickly back to the kitchen to start on his order.

Lucas turned in his seat, gazing at the decorations on the wall. While his eyes wandered, his mind strayed back to Peyton.

His heart ached for the girl. He knew she had left Tree Hill on hopes for a better life. The years she'd spent in Tree Hill hadn't exactly been the greatest. She'd lost two mothers, had an absent father, fallen in love, gotten ditched, lost a best friend, tried drugs, along with the basic drama of being a teenage girl. As upset as Lucas had been when Peyton had left, he had hoped that she would find a happier life. It pained him to know that the six months she'd spent trying to get her life back on track had ended with her covered in bruises and coming back home at three in the morning.

_But she'll get better, _Lucas assured himself. _I'll help her get her life back together and she'll be happier than ever. _He truly wanted to be there for her this time. When he had first met Peyton, all he wanted was to be there for her. But the drama of everyday life had caught up with him and he found himself wrapped inside his own problems, so much that he forgot be there to support her. Lucas mentally made a promise to himself to never let that happen again. Peyton didn't have many people in her life she could trust. He didn't want to lose that role to her because he was too caught up in how his relationship was going.

"Hey boyfriend," a quirky voice whispered in his ear.

Lucas jumped and turned to see Brooke standing behind him, looking stylish as usual. She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips, her long hair tickling his cheeks. Pulling back, Brooke smiled.

"How're you doing this morning?" she asked happily, taking the seat next to him. "Aren't you up a little early?"

Lucas grinned. "I'm doing fine," he replied. "And aren't you up a little early? Last I checked you slept past noon on weekends."

Brooke laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. "Well I usually do," she smiled. "But today I am meeting up with Haley and getting some breakfast, then maybe going shopping." She gave him a satisfied smile and crossed her arms. "But while we're on the subject of plans, is your night open? Because I was thinking maybe we could have another great evening to top off the week."

Lucas's mind immediately shot into overdrive as he tried to think of an excuse. Stuttering slightly, he responded, "Actually, I was going to stay in tonight. I just got a new book from the library, thought I'd get a head start on it." Looking up at Brooke, he smiled innocently, praying to God she didn't know what was going on. He wasn't quite sure if Peyton wanted him telling Brooke anything, so he thought it would be better to keep his mouth shut.

Brooke rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're such a nerd sometimes, Luke. But fortunately for you, I like nerdy." Hearing the door to the Café open, Brooke turned in her seat. Haley stepped through the doorway and began walking toward them. "Anyway," Brooke continued, "I'm about to start my amazing day. See, unlike you, Haley's actually pretty cool." She smiled.

"What's this I hear?" Haley asked, taking a seat on the other side of Lucas. "That I'm cool? You're so sweet, Brooke." She looked at Lucas, a warm smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Hey loser. What're you doing up so early?"

As Lucas groaned at Haley's words, his mom walked back over, a large paper bag in her left hand. She set the bag on the counter in front of Lucas and greeted Haley and Brooke with a welcoming smile. "There you go," she said to Lucas. "Pancakes, hash browns, sausage, bacon, and orange juice to go."

Brooke's mouth opened in awe. "Someone's starving, eh Luke? How can you eat all of that?"

Lucas smiled at her and grabbed the bag off the table. Turning back to his mother, he said, "Thank you." He got to his feet, switching the bag of food to his right hand. "Goodbye ladies. I hope you all have a great day."

Brooke leaned up to give him a quick kiss. "Love you," she smiled.

Lucas paused. "I love you too," he said after a moment.

--

Peyton wrapped the fuzzy white towel snugly around herself as she stepped out of the bathroom. Lucas's house was completely empty but she still found herself tiptoeing down the hallway, as quiet as possible. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of dark sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt. Peyton wasn't sure why she was so keen on covering up. Lucas had seen her bruises; he knew there had to be more. But somehow she felt so much more comfortable without him seeing the purple and blue marks up her arms, legs, and stomach.

She pulled the shirt over her head just as the door opened. She could tell it was Lucas just by the sound of the footsteps- light and far apart. Glancing quickly at herself in the mirror, Peyton bounded down the stairs to the kitchen. Lucas was already there, setting up two plates and some silverware for breakfast. Smiling at her, Lucas gestured for her to sit down.

"That smells delicious," Peyton commented, taking a seat in front of the large bag. "Thank you."

Lucas sat down across from her and began to pull the food out of the bag. "You're welcome," he responded, handing her a small box of pancakes. "Now let's get eating. You look starved."

Peyton nodded happily and dug into her food. For a long while it was almost completely silent as the two munched on their breakfast, both their minds wandering aimlessly. Finally, Lucas broke the quiet.

"So I saw Brooke at the Café," he said, glancing up at Peyton.

Peyton choked slightly on her food at she stared up at Lucas in shock. Swallowing hard, eyes watering, she coughed out, "What did you say to her?"

Lucas was immediately thankful he had chosen to keep his mouth shut about Peyton. He could tell right away that she didn't want Brooke knowing yet. "I didn't tell her anything," he explained. "Just gave her some excuse why I had to stay home tonight. I didn't think you'd want to me to mention anything."

Peyton eyed him thankfully as she raised a napkin to her mouth. Wiping her lips clean, she replied, "Thank you."

There was another long silence as Peyton look a long sip from her orange juice. Lucas watched her, his mind now starting to wonder why she didn't want to see Brooke. As Peyton put her glass down, wiping her mouth this time with the back of her hand, Lucas spoke. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Peyton responded.

"Why don't you want Brooke to know?" he asked. "Why don't you want to see her?"

Peyton tilted her head sideways and bit her lip, obviously thinking hard for an answer to his question. After a long moment she leaned toward him. "I guess it's just…our history," she began, her eyebrows creasing. "I mean, I haven't seen any of you in six months. We've hardly even kept in contact at all. And the first thing I do when I come back is go to you." She sat back a little, a sad smile forming on her face as she recalled what had happened nearly two years ago. "After what we did to her when you two first started going out, I know Brooke never trusted me in the same way again. I really hurt her by choosing to mess around with you. But she still took me back and became best friends with me again. If she were to find out that after six months of almost no contact, I went straight to you and slept in your bed, she'd flip out. She'd never trust either of us again." Peyton sighed, leaning on the back two legs of her chair. "It's best if, as far as she's concerned, I'm not back here at all. Not yet, at least."

Lucas took in what she said and nodded in agreement. He still felt guilty about how he had hurt Brooke when they'd begun dating. He wished things had turned out differently. Deep down he knew that if he'd only chosen Peyton from day one, like he wanted to, the situation never would have happened. He didn't feel guilty about pursuing Peyton; he just felt bad that Brooke had to endure so much hurt because of their actions.

"So," Peyton began, diminishing the awkward silence. "About my wrist." As much as she didn't want to bring up herself, she couldn't think of anything else to say. "Do you want to go to the hospital now? Because I'm not sure how long the wait is going to be."

Lucas smiled at Peyton and pushed his chair out. Getting to his feet, he said, "Can we go in half an hour? I just want to take a shower and get changed first." Picking up both his and Peyton's dishes, he walked to the sink and dropped them both in. When he walked back over to Peyton, he held his hand out to help her up. Peyton took it eagerly, beaming.

"That's fine." She stepped closer to him and sniffed. "Besides, you smell terrible. You really need that shower."

Lucas feigned hurt and looked at Peyton with puppy-dog eyes. "You're so mean to me," he whined. Peyton snorted and hit him on the head, then gestured toward the stairs. "Fine, I'm going, I'm going!" Lucas turned and rushed up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

When Peyton heard the bathroom door close, she fell tiredly back into her seat and put her head into her hands. The day had hardly even begun and already she felt exhausted. She had never thought that returning to Tree Hill would be so stressful on her. When she'd left New York she had just assumed that things would be like that had before she had left- she'd be having sleepovers with Brooke, listening to music with Lucas, having fun chats with Nathan and Haley. She never would have suspected that she'd be hiding out at Lucas's house, afraid to talk to Brooke and avoiding seeing anyone else completely.

Peyton lifted her head and pulled up the sleeve on her left arm. She began examining her left wrist. Lucas was right- it was clearly broken. It seemed twisted and oddly angled, causing her a great deal of pain when she left it alone and even worse pain when she touched it. It was completely black from bruises and utterly limp, as though there weren't any bones left in it. Sighing, Peyton pulled the sleeve back down, wincing in pain as it made contact with the injury.

As she waited for Lucas to finish his shower, Peyton began to think of stories to tell the doctors. She was sure they wouldn't buy the simple, "I slipped and fell," excuse for her arm, and it certainly wouldn't cover the various cuts and bruises on her face. She had, unfortunately, forgotten to pack makeup, so she couldn't apply cover up on the black eye. It would be obvious to anyone with a brain that she'd been attacked, but she still wanted to have a different story to avoid the doctors pressing her to get some help.

Upstairs, she heard the shower water turn off. Lucas would be coming downstairs in a few minutes, ready to leave for the hospital. Peyton walked to the bottom of the stairs, where she had taken off her shoes. Slipping back into them, she glanced up the steps. Through a small crack in the bathroom door she could see Lucas pulling a navy shirt over his head. Peyton smiled to herself. Lucas really had been great to her. He'd taken her in, given her a bed and food, even put his whole life on hold to help her out. Making a mental note to thank him again, Peyton walked toward the door. A moment later, Lucas came bounding down the steps.

"You ready to go?" he called, grabbing his car keys off the kitchen table.

Peyton sighed and shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her infamous leather jacket. "Ready as I'll ever be," she responded in a defeated voice.


	5. Chapter 5

**Woo-hoo! laughs Thanks for the great reviews. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. It's because one of my new favorite hobbies.**

**I've got a nice long update today, complete with an intense flashback. Very exciting. I most likely will not be updating tomorrow, though. Unless I can write a good chapter in the hour between ANTM and Lost (I'm a slow typer), there probably won't be a new one until Thursday.**

**Thanks again for the reviews and enjoy the new chapter!**

Peyton and Lucas had been sitting in the waiting room for nearly an hour. It wasn't very busy- on the contrary, it was quite empty, but Peyton was sure they weren't being taken in quickly because her wrist wasn't an emergency. She and Lucas had talked a little when they had first arrived but had eventually fallen silent. Peyton now found herself gazing around the room at the few other people in there with them.

Across from where she and Lucas sat there was a thin, dark haired boy, looking only a few years younger than them. His leg was wrapped in a thin white cloth and there was a pair of crutches leaning against the wall to his right. He sat slumped in his chair, immersed in some magazine about dirt bike racing. Next to him sat a very loud and obnoxious looking mother, wearing an expensive business suit and shouting into her cell phone.

"I told you, James," she screeched into the phone, "I wanted those papers ready by this morning! I don't have time for this!"

Mentally rolling her eyes, Peyton turned her head to the right. A young girl of about eight or nine was seated in a chair at the corner of the room, her right arm wrapped in a large cast. The girl was very small, her feet a long way from the floor as she sat in the chair. She was wearing a pair of torn jeans and maroon shirt, her curly blonde hair glowing vibrantly against the dark of her clothes. Next to her, the girl's dad was whispering something in her ear, but the girl looked even sadder all the same. Peyton's heart stopped for a moment as she stared. _She's me._

Suddenly Peyton felt a warm hand grab her left arm gently. She turned her head to see Lucas pulling up the sleeve of her shirt. She closed her eyes and gave in, holding her arm out farther as though granting him permission to examine it. Lucas let out a low whistle as he inspected her arm.

"Christ, he really did a number on you, didn't he?" Lucas murmured. "That must've been the worst."

Peyton shrugged her shoulders halfheartedly, not sure how to respond. She was saved the task of speaking up when a woman in a white coat opened the door to the waiting room. She glanced down at the clipboard in her hand before calling out, "Peyton Sawyer?"

Peyton glanced at Lucas. He gave her a reassuring nod and a small smile. She stood up, grabbing her leather jacket off the chair, and walked toward the nurse. As she reached the door, Peyton looked back at Lucas. He was still seated in his chair, though he looked like he was trying to stop himself from standing. When he caught her looking at him, he relaxed.

"You'll be fine," he said encouragingly. "I'm right out here."

Peyton nodded tentatively and followed the nurse behind the doors. They closed shut behind her with a loud bang. The nurse led her to the end of the hallway and motioned her inside the room to the right. Peyton stepped inside, dropping her jacket on the chair closest to the door and taking a seat on the edge of the patient bed.

"The doctor will be with you in a moment," the woman said monotonously, and she stepped out of the room rather quickly.

Peyton stared around the empty room, trying her hardest to think about anything but the anxiety she felt. She found this task rather difficult; the stark white walls were completely bare, save for two posters on opposite walls. One was a very large diagram of the human body, labeling every bone, organ, and muscle it pictured; the other, a colorful poster explaining healthy eating habits for growing children.

As she moved her eyes about the room, Peyton accidentally twisted her wrist slightly in the wrong direction. Crying out in pain, she lifted her arm, cupping it gently with her right hand. Lucas's words swirled inside her head as she inspected the bruises. _That must've been the worst. _

Peyton laughed harshly to herself. What had happened to her arm was quite terrible, but she was pretty sure it hadn't been the worst. Lucas had absolutely no idea. She sighed heavily, trying her hardest not to get caught up in memories of what had happened, but she found herself unsuccessful.

Kyle had lied to her when he had told her he would never hit her again. He had kept his promise for about a week before things had started up again. Beatings from him were rare, but the longer it went on the worse they got. Peyton tried to reason why she had stayed with him for so long.

The truth was Kyle wasn't the typical abusive boyfriend. Peyton had seen the Lifetime movies, had watched the soap operas with Brooke, and how Kyle treated her was nothing in comparison to the men in those stories. In fact, ninety-five percent of the time Kyle was the sweetest guy in the world. He would make her dinner, take her out on romantic dates, break off plans with his friends to be with her. Whenever she came home from a tiring day of work and wanted to watch television, he would gladly give her the recliner and the choice of what to watch. He told her he loved her every day, every night, and every time he saw her in-between.

But on the somewhat rare occasions Kyle got extremely angry, he became a whole different person. It was like someone else, some evil demon would inhabit his body for a period of time. He would start to do something and wouldn't be able to stop. It was like he couldn't contain himself.

Peyton supposed that's why he had stayed with him for so long. She was so hopeful, so sure that he would never act like that again that she had no desire to leave him. Every time he went off at her and she ended up on the floor, she told herself that it was the last time. That he wasn't like that at all and that he loved her too much to want to hurt her again. And every single time, she'd ended up wrong.

The door to the doctor's office creaked open again as the doctor, a haughty looking man in his late 30's, stepped into the room. He was making notes and check marks on a long sheet of paper attached to his clipboard. For a few minutes he ignored her as he paced the room, his pen scratching against the surface of the paper. Peyton sat in complete silence, staring around the room again to avoid eye contact. Finally, the doctor looked up at her.

"Peyton Sawyer?" he asked in a bored tone, not even bothering to feign excitement. Peyton nodded at him and he continued quickly. "I'm Dr. Costello. How are you doing this morning?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on, "It says here you have an injury to the wrist, probably a severe fracture. Hold out your arm, please."

Peyton complied immediately, pulling the sleeve on her left arm further up and holding it out for the doctor. He took her arm gently and began to inspect it, turning it slightly in his hands to see the bruising. Turning her wrist slightly, he asked, "Can you feel this?"

Peyton gasped out in pain. "Jesus!" she yelled, pulling her arm back toward her body, her eyes filling with tears again.

Dr. Costello gave her a fleeting look, his eyebrows raised. "I'm guessing that's a 'yes'," he murmured, picking up his clipboard once again and scribbling away. "And can you tell me how you sustained this injury, Ms. Sawyer?"

Peyton's stomach flipped and her mind instantly blanked. She sucked in her cheeks, trying to remember the story she'd planned. Stammering slightly, she muttered, "I just- you know, fell." She mentally kicked herself for the weak response. "I was playing football with some friends and I wiped out and landed on it."

The doctor gave a small disbelieving snort but wrote her response on the sheet of paper anyway. After another long moment he looked up, holding the clipboard at his side. "Well, it's definitely broken. I can tell right away. We're going to need some X-Rays, though. Hospital policy. And we'll need to get you fitted into a cast and prescribe something for the pain." He began walking toward the door, then stopped and turned when he reached it. "I'll be back in a moment. You stay there for right now."

The moment the door slammed shut, Peyton slumped back on the bed, resting her head on the small pillow. _That wasn't so bad,_ she thought. _It would've been better if I didn't have to go in the first place, of course. _She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind boosting into overdrive as she remembered how she'd really sustained the injury. She was sure that the first injury to it was a simple sprain. Kyle had grabbed it and twisted it harshly after she'd lost track of time out to lunch with some friends from work. He had been planning a romantic meal for the two of them and was livid when he discovered that she had missed it because she'd been gossiping with friends over deli sandwiches. It was less than a week later that he went off at her again, the event in which she was sure he had broken the bone. Images of that night filled her mind. Peyton squeezed her eyes tighter and attempted to shake the thoughts from her head, but failed. In an instant she found herself consumed in the memory of the worst night of her life.

_Peyton pranced around the small kitchen of her apartment, clad in a pair of torn jeans and a small white tank. She reached into the topmost cabinet and pulled down a large bottle of olive oil. On the edge of the counter sat a glass dish filled with warm potatoes, sauce, and seasoning. She walked back over to the dish and began measuring teaspoons of oil._

"_That smells amazing," Kyle whispered from behind her. He wrapped her arms lovingly around her waist, breathing in the appetizing scent of the unfinished dinner. "You are a great cook."_

_Peyton smile as she poured in the oil, reaching for the salt and pepper. "What else am I?" she grinned mischievously._

_Kyle kissed her on the cheek, causing her to erupt into a fit of giggles, nearly spilling the whole of the small container of salt in. "You are the cutest girl in the world," he smiled. "You're an amazing artist, you have the best taste in music of anyone I know, you're sweet, and you're funny, you look great all the time…" He heaved in a deep breath. "Not to mention, you're dating me," he finished jokingly. _

_Peyton turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a long kiss. After a moment she pulled away. "I need you to do me a favor," she said, poking him playfully in the chest with her forefinger. Kyle sprung into an obedient bow, causing Peyton to giggle shrilly. "In our room, next to my purse, there's a grocery bag. Inside there's a little bag with bay leaves. Can you grab it?" _

_Kyle took her hand and kissed it. "Anything, m'lady," he responded in a heavy accent, and he walked quickly from the room._

_Peyton smiled to herself, turning back to the dinner, and continued adding spices. Nearly three minutes had passed before she realized Kyle hadn't returned. Still sprinkling in garlic, she called, "Did you find it?"_

_Heavy footsteps behind her caused Peyton to jump and turn. Kyle was standing in the doorway. His left hand was empty, his right carrying not a bag of bay leaves, like she had asked, but what looked like a ticket. She could see instantly that he was furious: his body seemed tense and his eyes were blazing. He took a slow step toward her, causing Peyton to take a hesitant step back. Lifting the ticket higher in the air, Kyle growled in a dangerous voice, "What the hell is this?"_

_Peyton attempted a sly smile. "That?" she laughed, trying to ignore her pounding heart. "It's nothing. Just some stupid plane ticket my dad sent me so I could visit him if I wanted."_

_Kyle glanced down at the writing on the ticket and looked back up at her. "Nice try. Your dad is living in Rhode Island now, isn't he? But this ticket is two-way to North Carolina." He began taking more furious steps toward her. "So are you gonna tell me the truth this time? What the hell is this?"_

_Peyton gulped. Heart still pounding against her ribcage, she replied calmly, "I just thought maybe I'd visit home. It's been over five months since I last saw all my old friends. I miss them." She took another step backwards, but found herself colliding with the wall. "I was gonna go down there next weekend, just for two days. That's all. It's no big deal."_

_Kyle stopped a few feet away from her. Tilting his head slightly, he snapped, "And you weren't going to tell me?"_

_Peyton felt her own anger firing up. She bit her tongue, willing herself not to say anything, but found herself arguing back. "I'm sorry, the last I checked this was still a free country," she said, her voice dripping with angry sarcasm. "Last I checked, I don't have to clear anything with you if I don't want to."_

_Peyton gasped at her own words. She couldn't believe she'd actually fought back. Kyle tilted his head back upright, his eyes burning even more. She knew she'd done it. Closing her eyes, Peyton prepared herself for the attack. Not even three seconds later she felt his fist on the side of her face. Even though she expected the hit, she still stumbled and fell to the floor. Opening her eyes again, she saw Kyle standing above her. Pure hate registered on his face. He seemed the complete opposite of what he'd been only minutes ago._

_Peyton let out a scream as Kyle's foot collided harshly with her stomach. He drew it back for a moment, and then kicked her in the ribs a second time. Peyton felt the wind escaping her lungs as pain shot through her middle. He kicked her heavily in the ribcage two, three, four more times. Tears were already spilling from her eyes and she felt a small trace of blood coming up her throat. Moments later she felt him step on her wrist and put all his weight on it. The cracking of the bone was barely heard over her screams. The pain was unbearable now. She willed herself to shut her eyes as he sent another hard kick, this time at her head, and tried to imagine she was somewhere –anywhere- else._

_Peyton figured she must have blacked out at some point, because when she finally opened her eyes again she found the room entirely empty, the time on the clock nearly thirty minutes past when she'd last looked at it. She was curled into the fetal position, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, protecting her stomach. Her head was spinning and pounding while blood streamed from her nose. Her vision was hazy and she the sound of the television seemed miles away._

_Peyton stayed in that position all night. A few hours after she'd opened her eyes, she heard Kyle shut the television off, walk to their bedroom, and slam the door. She stayed where she was, wrapping her arms tighter around herself, wincing at the pain in her middle. She was positive Kyle had broken at least one of her ribs, probably more. Her wrist was completely numb, turning a darker shade a blue by the minute. The tears poured out nonstop from her eyes. Her breath was ragged and uneven._

You've got to get out of here! _Her mind screamed. _Save yourself! _Peyton merely hugged herself more tightly, screwing up her face against the pain. She forced a blank white space into her brain and stayed there, free from thought, free from pain… She didn't fall asleep, but anyone watching would've thought she had. She didn't move a muscle, didn't make a sound- she just remained where she was, the tears drying on her cheeks._

_As sunlight poured in through the windows, she heard Kyle get out of bed. Five minutes later he stepped into the kitchen. Peyton kept her eyes closed tightly. She heard Kyle take a breakfast bar from the cabinet to the right of her. He walked out of the room quickly, but Peyton was sure she heard him stop in the doorway to the kitchen and knew he was looking at her. Minutes later she listened as he pulled his shoes on, zipped up his jacket, and walked out the door._

_The moment it slammed shut Peyton's eyes shot open. She sighed heavily and attempted to move from her position on the floor, but doubled over in pain as her middle section stretched. Rolling onto her back, Peyton gazed up at the cream colored ceiling. She drew in a deep breath and bit the insides of her cheeks. The same words that she had been pondering all night spun around inside her head, and this time Peyton found herself speaking them aloud._

"_I've got to get out of here."_

"Ms. Sawyer?"

Peyton jumped and sat up. An older looking woman with long red hair stood in the doorway, her hand in a knocking position near the door. Peyton straightened herself out, pulling the sleeve of her shirt back over her wrist. She nodded at the woman, who stepped into the room and pulled the door shut.

"Hi, Peyton. My name is Dr. Willow, but you can call me Mary." She gave Peyton a small smile, her eyes twinkling behind her square frames. She held out her hand and Peyton shook it unenthusiastically. Mary nodded slightly and continued. "I'm from the Psychiatric Department. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

Peyton's heart stopped.

Mary settled herself in the chair across from Peyton, where her leather jacket was. "Now, Peyton," Mary began, "I see you've got a lot of injuries. Do you want to tell me how all of those happened?"

Peyton crossed her arms defensively, almost instinctively. "No, I don't want to talk about it," she spat. "Get the hell out of here."

Mary blinked coolly, pursing her lips. Pulling her glasses off, she looked up at Peyton sadly. "Peyton, I really want to help you. I can tell you're in a bad situation."

Peyton jumped off the bed, shaking all over her body. Mary stood up also, but it had little effect: Peyton still towered over her by nearly a foot. Clenching her teeth angrily and holding back tears, Peyton cried, "Get out! I don't walk to talk! Leave!"

Before Mary could respond, the door to the room burst open and Lucas stumbled inside. He was breathing heavily and shot a concerned look at Peyton. "Are you okay?" he asked her. Peyton nodded quickly. "You," Lucas said, turning to Mary. "She doesn't want to talk to anyone, okay? She doesn't need some therapist analyzing her. So just get out."

"Lucas, don't," Peyton argued back weakly, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Both of you, just get out."

"No." Lucas moved to Peyton's side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He turned to the Psychiatric doctor and sighed. "Look," he began in a calm voice, "she's going through a lot right now. She really doesn't want to be forced into talking to someone. Don't you think it would be best if you just left?"

Mary opened her mouth to retort just as the door opened for a third time. Dr. Costello stood in the doorway, his clipboard up and his pen poised as usual. He glanced around at the three people in the room in mild shock. He gave Mary a significant glace. She nodded hurriedly and stepped out of the room. The doctor turned back to Peyton and Lucas. Lucas kept his warm hand on Peyton's shoulder and gave her a light squeeze.

"We're ready to take you for the X-Ray, Ms. Sawyer," Dr. Costello said. "If you'll just follow me. And your boyfriend can't come with, I'm afraid."

Peyton and Lucas both opened their mouths immediately to argue the word 'boyfriend'. The doctor blushed at their mutterings apologetically, clearly embarrassed for having assumed they were together. He stepped out of the room, holding the door open for the other two. They all stood in the quiet hallway, the doctor turning away to give Peyton and Lucas some privacy.

"Here, you go back to the waiting room," Peyton said tiredly. "I'll be fine. See you in a bit."

Lucas nodded and pulled her into a hug. Giving her a swift kiss on the forehead, he pulled away and smiled. "You'll be okay," he said softly. "Just meet me in there when you're done and we'll get going."

--

Nearly an hour and a half later, Peyton and Lucas stepped out of the hospital into the bright sunlight. The day had almost completely gone by and the two of them had spent the majority of theirs cooped up in the hospital, wallowing in worry and regret. Peyton shielded her eyes against the bright sun with her right hand, her left arm heavily wrapped in a large cast. As they neared the car, Peyton spoke.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Lucas raised his eyebrows questioningly and looked at her. "Shouldn't have done what? Saved you from the nosy therapist who wouldn't leave you alone?" He smiled. "I heard your doctor ask the nurse to get someone from Psychiatric up there. Said he had a patient who looked like she'd been mugged." He dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out the car keys. "I knew he must've been talking about you, so I went and waited outside the door, just in case things got out of hand."

Peyton ran her hand through her messy hair, biting her lip. Her entire body felt tense. "Yeah," she started in a strained voice. "But now they probably think you're the one who beat me up." She turned to face him as he shoved the key into the passenger side door of his car. "I told you I didn't want that."

Lucas held the door open and motioned Peyton to sit down. She ducked in and leaned back against the seat, glancing at him with worried eyes. Lucas bent down so that he was at eye level with her. "You don't get it, do you?" he asked. "I don't mind what people think. I'm willing to get into any kind of trouble if it means I'm helping you." He brushed his hand lightly against her cheek and gave her a fleeting smile.

Peyton felt her eyes fill with tears, but for the first time they weren't from pain, weren't from sadness. A different feeling was erupting in the pit of her stomach. She felt…happy. There was a light in her that flowed through her entire body. Letting out a large yawn, she changed the subject. "I'm exhausted. I just want to go to sleep."

Lucas smiled at her. "Tell you what," he said, standing up and putting his hand on her door. "When we get back to my place you can take a nice nap, and I'll go pick you up a few things. You know, a toothbrush, some shampoo and conditioner, all the good stuff. How does that sound?"

Peyton gave him a warm smile and nodded in response, too tired to open her mouth and speak. Lucas grinned back and shut her door. He started walking toward his side of the car, then paused and leaned his head in her open window.

"Peyton, I care about you more than anything. You know that, right?"

Peyton reached up and grabbed Lucas's hand. Their eyes locked and for a moment the world went completely silent. She gave him a small squeeze and attempted to smile.

"I know."


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sorry about the long wait for an update. For some reason this site was uploading the document. I still don't know why in the hell it wouldn't, but what matters is that I finally got it up. I'll be updating regularly now. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Lucas pulled his car into the driveway, squinting his eyes against the bright sun. Putting the car in park, he turned to his left and smiled. Peyton was fast asleep, her head resting on her left shoulder and her heavily bandaged arm in her lap. Her mouth was open slightly and she was letting out soft snores every once in a while.

Not wanting to wake her, Lucas slipped open his door and stepped out quietly. He hurried to her side of the car and pulled the door open. Gently, Lucas placed on Peyton's back and the other under her legs. He lifted her slowly, kicking the car door shut with his foot. Peyton's head rolled to her other shoulder, her eyebrows creasing, and her breathing became heavier. Lucas could immediately tell she was having a bad dream.

He carried her to the door, becoming more aware of how light she was with every step he took. It was a difficult task to open the door and hold it with Peyton in his arms, but a few minutes later Lucas entered his room and tiptoed to his bed. He put her down as tenderly as he could, then reached for the blankets and tucked her in.

Lucas turned around and was about to walk away when Peyton cried out in her sleep. Turning back to her, Lucas saw that she was rolling from side to side, her face screwed up in fear, muttering incoherently. He hurried back to the bed and leaned over her, putting his hands on her shoulders comfortingly, hoping to calm her. But Peyton reacted terribly to being touched; hitting his arms violently, she let out a muffled scream and continued to thrash about. Lucas bit his lip, unsure what to do, then sat on the bed and grabbed her arms. She fought back strongly, but Lucas held on, lifting her into a sitting position and trying his best to wake her.

"Peyton!" he cried, shaking her slightly. "Peyton, wake up! You're just dreaming!"

With a loud cry, Peyton opened her eyes. She stopped moving immediately, staring around the room with wide eyes. Her gaze moved to Lucas, her eyes filling with tears. He reacted instantly, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"You're okay," he whispered as she let out a loud sob. "You're perfectly safe."

Peyton cried against his chest for a few more minutes, just as she'd done the night before. When she finally pulled away, she wiped her eyes and bit her lip, looking lost. Lucas searched her face with a sad smile. After a moment, Peyton threw herself back against the pillows, pulling the blanket over herself.

Lucas put a soft hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked, to which Peyton nodded her head quickly. Lucas took his hand off her shoulder and backed off the bed. "You should go back to sleep. You really need it."

Peyton turned onto her other side, facing him. She looked slightly angry, her nose scrunched and her forehead creased, but when she spoke it was in a mock-stern tone. "Don't you stay here watching over me," she ordered. "I'll be fine by myself. You just go out and do…whatever it is that you do."

Lucas raised his eyebrows, an amused smile coming on his face as he noticed how damn cute she looked when she wrinkled her nose. "Fine," he said, raising his arms in defeat.

"I get it; you can take care of yourself."

Peyton nodded happily at his response, but almost immediately her face paled and her eyes started to droop. "Guess I'm more tired than I thought," she laughed sleepily. Lucas gave her a concerned look and started forward, but she held up her hand. "I'm fine," she assured him, lying back on the bed. "I just haven't really slept in a few days."

Lucas stared at her for a minute, feeling tense, but relaxed as he watched her close her eyes. He walked backwards toward the door. Putting his hand on the knob, he called back, "I'm gonna go get you some things. Do you need anything specifically?" He could feel himself blushing. "Like- feminine products…?"

Peyton let out a drowsy laugh, her eyes still closed. "No, I'm fine," she murmured. She rolled onto her side, her breathing becoming visibly steadier.

Lucas stood with his hand on the door for another long moment, making sure Peyton had indeed fallen asleep. When he was sure she was out, he opened the door and stepped out. He took one last look inside before he closed the door. Peyton was turned away from him, her body moving in a steady rhythm with her breathing.

"Sleep tight, Peyton."

-- 

Lucas entered the doors of the convenience store, the warm air rushing against his face. In his left hand he held a list of things to pick up, including hair products, toothpaste, and face wash. He walked swiftly towards the hair care aisle, glancing around for familiar faces.

"Luke!"

Lucas turned to see who had called him. His face broke into a grin at the approaching boy. "Hey, Nate," he said, giving his half-brother a quick pat on the back. Nathan was holding two bags of Doritos and a large bottle of Pepsi. "Are you having a party?" Lucas asked casually.

Nathan smiled and shook his head. "Not really. Haley's out with Brooke all day so I'm having a few of the guys over for poker." He raised his eyebrows at Lucas. "I called you at least six times to invite you. How come you didn't answer?"

Lucas shifted slightly, thinking hard on the spot. "I've just been busy," he responded weakly.

Nathan smiled. "Whatever. So can you come? We start Texas Holdem at nine."

Lucas smiled back but shook his head. "Sorry, man," he said. "I got a new book from the library, I thought I'd start it tonight." He mentally praised himself for remembering the excuse he'd used on Brooke. "Maybe some other time."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "I don't believe you," he informed Lucas, "but you're obviously pretty intent on keeping something from me, so I won't even try to figure it out. See you around."

Lucas gave him a thankful smile and a good-bye before turning down the aisle. He glanced up at the walls full of different types of shampoos and conditioners, not sure which to pick. _Special for curly hair or for blondes? _he asked himself, gazing at the two bottles. He scratched his head. After a moment he put the latter back on the shelf and proceeded down the aisle.

Lucas mentally thanked God that he wasn't a girl as he stared at the wall of products. There were three long rows of different types of deodorants, each with a different brand or scent, some coming with a free bottle of body spray. He tiled his head slightly to the side, confusion registering on his face. For him, he lived on what products his mom purchased. He remembered one time when he had gone shopping with Haley, and she'd spent twenty minutes in the same aisle browsing through types of mascara. Closing his eyes, Lucas held his hand out and grabbed one of the products in front of him. It seemed fine, so he quickly continued to the next aisle.

He was thankful that no one else he knew showed up. It would've raised a few suspicions to Brooke or Haley if they saw him juggling bottles of "Sleek and Shine Hair Serum" or "Maybelline Express Mascara". Lucas wasn't sure when Peyton was going to be ready to tell people she was back. He supposed she just wanted to get settled in and feel safe before she revealed herself to all her old friends. Still, he worried about her. It was obvious she needed to talk someone and Lucas wasn't sure he was the one to do that. As far as he could tell, it would be far easier for Peyton to talk to a girl about what had been happening while she was gone. Lucas was determined to be there for her, but if she didn't want him there he would give her the space she needed. He sighed. He just wished she'd let him know what she wanted.

--

Lucas finally returned home nearly an hour later, clad with four plastic bags full of items for Peyton. He dropped the bags in his room, glad to see that she was still asleep. She was curled up near the end of the bed now, facing him, looking much more peaceful than she had earlier. She must've been a very light sleeper, because the second he stepped nearer to her, her eyes shot open.

"Hey there," Lucas greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

Peyton sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly with her right hand. She let out a long yawn, stretching her arms behind her back. Scratching the back of her neck, she replied, "Yeah, I suppose."

Lucas crossed his arms in front of himself, not entirely convinced. "Are you still tired?" he asked in a concerned voice. Peyton shrugged half-heartedly, her eyes still drooping. _She really hasn't slept in days._

Lucas reached for one of the bags he'd gotten from the store and placed it on the bed in beside Peyton. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he began to sift through it. "I got you a few things," he commented. Glancing at the pile of bags on the floor, he corrected himself. "Well, I got you a lot of things. I figured you needed it. Here."

Peyton sat up straighter as Lucas poured the contents of the bag over her bed. She was surprised to see it was full of make-up, a lot of it. Lucas picked up three bottles of foundation and held them in front of her.

"I noticed you didn't have any makeup," he began, "and I figured you might want to cover…that… up once in a while." He finished the sentence awkwardly, gesturing at the black and purple surrounding her right eye. Peyton rubbed the back of her neck, feeling self-conscious. After a moment, Lucas continued, his tone slightly amused. "Anyway, I didn't know what color to get- seriously, there had to be a thousand there, how do you choose? - so I just grabbed three that looked…kind of similar."

Peyton grabbed the three bottles away from him. She held the first up against her cheek, knowing immediately that it was too dark. "Lucas, how could you possibly think this was my tone?" she asked scornfully.

Lucas dropped his mouth in a mock upset fashion. "Hey, I slaved away for over an hour finding you makeup!"

Peyton burst out laughing at hit him playfully on the arm. "I'm kidding," she smiled. Dropping two of the bottles from her right hand, she held the last one up. "This one," she began with a smile, "is actually the same I've been using since I was thirteen. So thank you."

Lucas gave her a warm smile, and then reached for another bag. "I also got you…" he opened the bag and went through it. "Some shampoo- _Special for curly hair, _just for you- and, oh, here's some _Apricot Sensation Body Wash_- I picked that one specially because it smelled really good."

Peyton couldn't help but smile at how excited he seemed as he went through the bags. It had been almost fifteen minutes by the time they finished. Lucas threw the last bag on the floor and stood up as Peyton's stomach let out a loud growl.

"Are you hungry?"

Peyton held her stomach. "Obviously," she said in a slightly sarcastic voice, but she grinned at him all the same.

Lucas beamed back. "How about I go inside and grab you something?" he proposed. "And you can just rest up. You still look like hell."

Peyton rolled her eyes at him. "Ass," she said, putting her legs over the edge of the bed. "I expect my food here in three minutes, no less." She scooted to the edge of the mattress and got to her feet.

Almost immediately she swayed on the spot. Closing her eyes tightly, she held her hands out to balance herself, her knees shaking weakly. Lucas started forward, looking concerned, but she stopped him. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy. I just stood up to fast." Regaining composure, she gave Lucas a teasingly look. "Why are you still here?"

Lucas gave her a lopsided grin. "Alright, your highness," he said, backing away toward the door. "I'll be back in a bit." He gave her one last lingering smile before exiting the room.

--

He walked into the kitchen, eager to find Peyton and himself something to eat. As he entered he saw his mom sitting at the table, looking through the newspaper, a cup of warm tea in her hand. Karen glanced up as she saw Lucas and gave him a smile.

"Don't go eating now," she told him sternly as Lucas pulled out bread, peanut butter, and jelly. "Dinner will be ready in an hour. I don't want you spoiling it."

Lucas groaned and put the contents on the table. Taking a seat beside his mother, he reached for a page of the paper. Karen set her mug down on the table rather loudly and turned in her seat to face him. There was an amused, but slightly irritated, expression on her face. Lucas raised his eyebrows.

"What's up with you?" he asked.

Karen's face became tenser as she stared at Lucas with worried eyes. "Lucas, I need to ask you something."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders, sitting up straighter. Placing the paper down, he said, "Fire away."

Karen inhaled deeply. "Why," she asked, "is Peyton Sawyer- who we haven't seen in months- covered in bruises in _your _bed?"

Lucas gaped at her.


	7. Chapter 7

**See? I told you I'd get back into regular updates. :) Thanks for being so patient about the last update. I still can't figure out why it wouldn't let me upload the document, but whatever. Thanks for the reviews too. And yes, Karen found her. Lucas wasn't exactly smart about 'hiding' Peyton. So continuing on from last chapter, here's the next update. Enjoy.**

"I-she…we…"

Karen raised her eyebrows and stared at her son as he attempted to utter an explanation. Lucas's mouth was still open wide as he fiddled with the paper in front of him. It was obvious that he hadn't thought of what his mother would say if she found Peyton. Hell, he hadn't even thought about the possibility of his mother seeing her.

"Luke," Karen said softly. "Don't lie to me. I'm not mad; I'm concerned. I just want to know what she's doing here."

Lucas inhaled deeply and hung his head. He was unsure whether he should speak up or not; he didn't want to upset Peyton but part of him was sure she'd understand if he told his mom. After all, she had to know that living in his house would raise questions. He just wished he didn't have to be the one to answer them.

Lucas glanced at his mother before speaking. "She showed up last night," he said after a brief silence. "Well, this morning, actually- it was around three. She just needed a place to stay. I thought I'd give that to her." He purposely avoided the subject of her injuries. He didn't want to tell Karen only to find that Peyton had been planning to hide for as long as she could.

Karen gave Lucas a dubious look and crossed her arms. "And the cuts, the bruises- they just fell down from heaven?" she asked skeptically. Lucas could tell from her tone that she was going to push him into telling her no matter how long it took. Her voice sounded intrigued but deeply worried.

Lucas groaned and rubbed his hands over his tired face. "Okay, I give in," he said in a strangled voice. "But if she's angry at me for saying something, _you_ can tell her that you forced it out of me. I don't want her upset with me." He took a long, deep breath before continuing. "She hasn't told me flat out what happened. I asked her if a guy did it and she all but admitted it. I guess she had a boyfriend in New York who… wasn't that nice." Lucas was a little shocked to feel anger rising in him as he spoke. He suddenly felt very warm and noticed he was shaking slightly. He swallowed heavily.

Karen let out a small gasp, her hand covering her mouth. She was visibly upset at this news, even if she'd been expecting it. After a long silence she dropped her hand. "Is she okay?" Karen whispered.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure if Peyton was okay. She seemed to be holding up quite well, but it bothered him that she refused to speak about anything. He was worried that maybe there was something she wasn't telling him, something much worse than what had already been done to her.

Karen grabbed Lucas's hand in her own and gave him a small squeeze. "She can stay here as long as she needs to," she told him, sounding much more loving and motherly than she had a few minutes before.

Lucas nodded numbly, staring at the table without really seeing it. For the first time since Peyton had showed up, it began to hit him what was going on. Images swirled in his head of some man, nameless and faceless, hitting her, forcing her to the floor. He felt his blood boil. Clenching his jaw, he moved his gaze to Karen's face. "She'll be okay," he assured her, as well as himself. "She just needs someone right now."

Karen smiled at her son and pulled him into a quick hug. "I know she does," she whispered. "She's lucky to have you, Luke. I can tell you'll do a great job taking care of her." She pulled back, dabbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm going to get set up for dinner. I'll put out an extra plate for her. Why don't you go talk to her?"

Lucas nodded and got to his feet. As he reached the edge of the kitchen he turned around. Karen was setting up three plates on the table, looking lost in thought. "Mom?" Lucas said. Karen glanced up at him and he continued. "Thank you." Giving her half-smile, he continued out of the room.

Lucas entered his own bedroom seconds later. "Peyton?" he called, closing the door behind him. She wasn't on the bed anymore. His gaze moved around the room, searching for her. As his eyes lowered to the floor, he felt his heart stop.

Peyton was laying on the ground, sprawled on her back with her arms and legs at odd angles, her face pale as ever. She wasn't moving at all.

Lucas fell to his knees beside her, his heart now thumping loudly against his ribcage. He felt like he couldn't breathe. His hands shook as he held them out to touch her shoulder. She was very warm. Unsure of what to do, he lifted her head in his hands and moved behind her. He rested her head back on his knees and began to stroke her hair, whispering nonsense words to her.

"Come on, Peyt," he muttered, his voice breaking. "Open your eyes."

He sat like that for a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Peyton still showed no sign of reaction. It was nearly five minutes later that her eyes began to flutter open. Lucas drew in a deep, calming breath, his hands still stroking her messy curls.

"Peyton?" he asked. She moved slightly, trying to get up, but he pressed her shoulders down softly. "Don't get up. Just…recover, okay?"

Peyton groaned and closed her eyes tiredly. "What happened?" she asked. She was still very pale and seemed dazed.

"I came back in here and you were on the floor," Lucas replied, pulling a strand of hair off her face. "You must've passed out." He scanned the room and spotted a half-full bottle of water on the dresser beside his bed. Gently, he rested her head back against the floor as he rose to his feet.

Peyton gave another small moan. "I felt dizzy," she commented, looked confused. "I remember talking to you and the room was spinning." She coughed as Lucas approached her with the water.

"Here," he said, sitting down next to her. He tenderly lifted her head off the floor, and then reached for the open bottle. "You should drink some water. You're probably dehydrated." Carefully, he leaned her head back and poured some water down her throat.

Peyton swallowed and let out a small laugh. "God, I feel so helpless." Forcing herself into a slumped sit, she glanced at Lucas. Her head spun for a second, so that his face seemed to be a blur of colors, but after a moment she regained composure. He was smiling at her with sad eyes.

"Peyton," he began awkwardly, "I'm really sorry, but I kind of told my mom what happened." He moved back as Peyton shot up, her eyes wide and shock registering clearly on her face. "Look, she saw you in here! And she kept pressing me about it…so I just told her. I'm sorry, but it was the only way I could keep you here."

Peyton took a heavy breath, resting her head on her knees. Lucas felt a pang in his heart as he stared at her. She seemed so defeated. It was like she was so tired, so hurt from everything she'd been through, that she didn't want to try anymore. After a painful silence, she said sadly, "She probably thinks I'm an idiot, your mom. For staying with him."

Lucas immediately put an arm around her, pulling her into a close hug. "Nobody thinks you're an idiot," he consoled her. "You're a victim, Peyton, and anyone who sees it differently is the idiot."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You thought I was an idiot," she commented darkly.

Lucas's hand slid under her chin, raising her face to his. When she looked at him, she saw a fire in his eyes. But it wasn't anger, it wasn't hate or hurt. There was a determined look in his eyes. "I never thought you were an idiot," he told her fiercely. "I would never think that of you! I just didn't know what else to say. Listen to me, Peyton." He moved his hand to her right cheek and put the other on her left, so that he was cupping her face. His blue eyes refused to leave her face. "You are an amazing girl. You can't beat yourself up for something someone did to you, and you definitely shouldn't expect us to."

Peyton gazed at him sadly, her eyes welling with tears for what felt like the thousandth time that day. She couldn't remember ever feeling this sad, this lost and alone. More than anything she just wanted things to go back to how they'd been before she'd left. Back when she'd been happy. When she'd left for New York, she'd told herself she needed it. She forced herself to believe that Tree Hill was making her life worse and that a change was best. But when she looked back, she realized that the happiest she'd been in her life was before she took off. The time when Brooke was her best friend, when she went to Haley for advice, and when she and Nathan would sit outside and laugh about the past. The time when she and Lucas would sit together, each in their own world but together all the time, with this silent connection that said everything they couldn't put into words. She wanted it all back.

"So…what's for dinner?" Peyton couldn't think of anything else to say.

Lucas gave her a toothy smile. "I don't know. Maybe we should find out." He got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. "Do you think you'll be okay to stand?"

Peyton rolled her eyes slightly at him, then grabbed his hand and put him pull her to her feet. Stifling a yawn, she murmured. "I hope dinner isn't awkward. With your mom and all."

Lucas wrapped an arm around her waist as they turned toward the door. "It won't be," he told her in a comforting voice. "I promise."

--

He had been partially right. The dinner had gone quite smoothly, without any questions about Peyton's injuries or her boyfriend back in New York. But the way Karen avoided discussing the issues became quite obvious halfway through the meal, causing the air to become thicker with tension. Peyton had tried her best to smile and seem happy, but it was apparent to Lucas that she just wanted to crawl in bed and fall asleep. They finished dinner rather quickly, and telling Karen they were exhausted they retreated back to Lucas's room.

"Here." Lucas fluffed the pillow on his bed and turned to Peyton. "I'm sure it'll be very comfortable. And if your arm is bothering you, we've got the painkillers in the kitchen. The bottle says to take one every twelve hours."

Peyton rubbed the back of her neck, hundreds of thoughts appearing on her face. "Lucas," she said weakly, "you can have the bed. The floor's a terrible place to sleep."

Lucas ignored her and sat down on his mattress of blankets beside the bed. Lying back against the pillows, he yawned. "The floor is fine," he told her. "Besides, my mom definitely wouldn't be fine with us sharing a bed. And there's no way in hell I'm giving _you_ the floor." He smiled up at her, nodding toward the bed. "Face it- I'm being nice and you're just gonna have to deal with it."

Peyton gave him a light kick and a goofy grin. Jumping into the bed, she pulled the covers close to her face. She rolled onto her side, and heard Lucas to the same below her.

Reaching his hand to turn out the light, he called, "Goodnight." Peyton gave a small grunt in reply. Lucas rolled onto his back and gazed up at the white ceiling, his mind clouded with thoughts.

He was still awake nearly two hours later. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he turned toward his bed. Peyton had her back to him, her shoulders moving in a steady rhythm. "Peyton?" he asked in the darkness, but she gave a small snore and he knew that she'd fallen asleep.

He continued to stare at her back for quite some time, watching her back heaving up and down with every breath she took. Every now and then she would let out a soft snore and he would smile. When he went to lie back down, he found himself sitting up again, just to make sure she was okay. For a long moment he watched her sleeping, grinning to himself all the while, and feeling himself relaxing. As tiredness took over his body, he opened his mouth, preparing to bid her goodnight again. Instead he found his mouth working on its own.

"I love you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Woohoo, update! Enjoy!**

Peyton woke quite early the next morning, feeling oddly rested and comfortable. She leaned over the side of her bed to find Lucas's spot empty, the blankets in a pile and the pillows strewn across the floor. Pushing herself off the bed, she tiptoed quietly out of the bedroom and into the hall.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw Lucas and Karen seated at the table, their heads together, in the middle of an intense discussion. They both glanced up as she entered, and for a moment Peyton was momentarily paralyzed. The room went oddly quiet as the mother and son stared at her and she stared back.

"Sorry," Peyton managed to choke out. She fidgeted awkwardly, turning back toward the door. "I'll just go…" She began walking back out the hall, her face burning. She could tell they had been talking about her from the way they went silent when she entered.

"Wait!" Lucas stood up, pushing his chair behind him. "Peyt, you don't have to leave. C'mon in and sit down, eat some breakfast." He gave her a slightly guilty grin as she turned back.

Karen had gotten to her feet now. She gave Peyton an encouraging but curt nod before walking to the stove, where she poured pancake batter on the frying pan. She seemed quite upset as she turned her back on the other two, pursing her lips and breathing heavy thought her nose. Peyton tried to ignore this as she hurried to the table and took a seat.

Lucas took his seat, scooting his chair closer beside her. She gave him a shy smile and reached across the table for the paper. The headline flashed across the page "_Presidential Candidates Reveal Plans for Future", _but those words blurred away as she looked further down the page, at the guide in the bottom right corner. "_Page 6: Domestic Violence Rate Increase". _

Peyton's breath seemed to catch in her lungs as she stared at the words. She found her eyes welling with tears. She couldn't understand why it was making her so sad- she'd long since come to terms with the fact that she'd been abused. But somehow seeing the words in print made them unbearable.

Lucas's eyes moved to where she was looking. He instantly understood why she'd become so quiet. Pulling the paper gently from her hands, he put it faced down on the chair beside him and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"So," he said, "we've got pancakes and orange juice for breakfast- same as yesterday, but it'll still be great." Peyton gave him a quick smile, causing him to beam back. "What do you want to do today? I'm sure you're sick of the house already."

Peyton pursed her lips and looked back at him. She'd been thinking a lot over the past day and a half, and already she was planning her days in Tree Hill. "Actually," she began hesitantly, "I was thinking of going to see Brooke. I think it's time I let her know I'm back."

Lucas was silent at first, his eyebrows raising naturally at her response. Less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been terrified at the thought of him letting Brooke know, and now she was offering to go there herself. After a long moment he forced a small smile. "Are you sure you want to see her?" He paused briefly and Peyton gave him an unreadable expression. "I don't mean you shouldn't!" he explained. "I just want you to be sure that you're ready, that's all."

Peyton rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm ready," she assured him. "I think I might go there after breakfast."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully as Karen walked to the table, setting a plate of pancakes and syrup in front of each of them. Her manner was a little cold, but she gave Peyton a genuine smile before walking away to get them drinks. Lucas and Peyton both thanked her before digging into their plates.

When Karen came back to the table with the drinks, she stopped in front of Peyton. "I think it's great that you're going to see Brooke," Karen told her. "I know you're going through a lot now, but you're friends are always here to help you. I'm sure Brooke will be very pleased to see you again." Peyton gave a small thankful smile.

--

They were back in Lucas's room. Peyton was applying the makeup he had picked up for her, covering the bruise around her eye with heavy foundation. Lucas was putting the blankets and pillows back on the bed and attempting to make the room bearable.

"So are you gonna tell her?"

Peyton glanced in the mirror at Lucas, who was standing behind her. He was giving her a hard stare. She turned on the spot to face him, automatically crossing her arms as though to protect herself.

"What?"

Lucas sighed. "You heard me. Are you going to tell Brooke about New York?" He seemed to know the answer, but was still fixated on her with a challenge in his eyes.

Peyton shrugged her shoulders and glanced away from him. She wasn't sure why he insisted on asking her. It seemed quiet obvious in her mind. "Of course I'm not going to say anything," she replied. "Why ruin a happy reunion with information like that?" She turned back to the mirror, taking out a bottle of mascara and applying it. She wanted to look decent at the very least, or Brooke would suspect something.

Lucas stood next to her, glancing in the mirror too. It was shocking how much older they both looked. They were no longer the carefree high school students they had been merely months ago. When they looked in that mirror they saw two grown people, one having been through struggles greater than most adults and the other giving up his life to help her. It frightened Lucas to think that their innocence had been taken away that easily.

Peyton placed the mascara on the table and glanced up. She still looked tired and defeated, but the makeup she had applied covered her bruises and added a healthy glow to her cheeks. She looked almost-normal. She was sure her appearance could easily be mistaken for exhaustion from a long flight. Her eyes moved to Lucas.

"Is Brooke still living in the apartment?" she asked, recalling the two weeks before she left in which Brooke put all her savings into a small apartment. Lucas nodded in response. "Good," Peyton continued. "I should leave now."

"Do you want a ride?" Lucas offered, immediately reaching for his car keys, which were placed on the dresser.

Peyton shook her head quickly. "Nah," she said. "Don't you think it would be suspicious if I showed up to Brooke's house in your car? No, I think I'll just walk there. It isn't that far. I could use some fresh air." She reached for her famous leather jacket, which was slung over the chair to her right side.

Lucas walked her to the door. He held it open for her, feeling somewhat sad to see her leave. He was sure Brooke would ask Peyton to sleep over, so he didn't know how long it would be before they saw each other again. Pulling her into a tight hug he said, "See you later."

Peyton squeezed him back tightly. "Can you do me one favor, Luke?" she asked as they pulled away.

He gave her a smile. "I can do anything for you."

She grinned back. "When Brooke calls to tell you I'm back, just act surprised, okay?" Lucas nodded, laughing slightly. Peyton stood on her toes, leaning in toward his cheek, and gave him a small peck. "I'll be seeing you."

--

The walk to Brooke's apartment was quite short. Peyton was surprised that she still knew her way around Tree Hill. It seemed to be carved into the back of her head. When she reached the bright red door, she found her heart beating. As excited as she was to see her best friend again, she wasn't sure what to say. Part of her wished she was back with Lucas, where she felt completely comfortable. But another part of her was insisting that she reconnect with everyone she loves, and she knew that part was right. Forming a fist with her right hand, she pounded on the door three times.

There was a small crash inside, immediately followed by Brooke's voice. "I'm coming!" She sounded flustered. There were a few more bangs, another yell, and then silence. A second later, the door flew open. Brooke stood inside the apartment, wearing shorts and a thin strapped top, looking as though she'd just woken up.

The two girls stared at each other for a moment. Brooke's mouth was open in shock, her eyes wide. Peyton gazed back at her, looking slightly uncomfortable. The silence was finally broken as Brooke let out a loud screech.

"Peyton!" Brooke immediately threw her arms around her best friend, pulling her into a tight hug. Peyton winced as Brooke's arms made harsh contact with her bruised body, but found herself smiling all the same. Brooke squeezed Peyton tightly. "What are you doing here?" she asked joyfully.

They pulled away from each other, Peyton smiling genuinely and Brooke looked shocked but fascinated. "I can't believe it's really you!" The brunette pulled Peyton into another quick hug before pulling back again. "You don't call, don't write, but now you're back! And that's all that matters! Oh, God, I've missed you so much!"

Peyton laughed, feeling as though a weight were being lifted off her shoulders. The truth was it felt _amazing _to see Brooke again. It was as great as the feeling she got when she saw Lucas. "Yeah, well, I'm back," she responded. "For now, at least."

Brooke grinned back at her, looking highly pleased. Her eyes moved down Peyton's body, stopping at the heavy cast on her left arm. "Oh, what happened to your arm?"

The curly-haired girl shrugged her shoulders. "I broke it. No big deal, I just fell down the stairs," she lied. Grinning, she reached out and grabbed Brooke's hand. "It's really great to see you."

Brooke gave a toothy smile. "We have so much catching up to do," she said cheerfully. "Here, come inside and let's talk! I want to hear everything about New York! And I know you want to hear everything that's been going on here!"

And pulling Peyton's arm in a rather forceful manner, she pulled her inside the apartment, the two girls giggling happily as they slammed the door.

--

Lucas entered the kitchen to find his mother setting three plates on the table, the delicious dinner set in the middle.

"Oh, we don't need three," Lucas told Karen. She glanced up at him, looking confused. Lucas smiled. "Peyton went to see Brooke, remember?"

Karen grinned. "Of course," she replied, grabbing the extra plate off the table and putting it back. Taking a seat in front of one of the plates, she beckoned Lucas to join her. She put a few slices of turkey on her own plate and reached for the potatoes. "So how do you feel about her going there?" she asked casually.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he said. "It's not that big of a deal. I'm just worried that maybe she's not ready." He grabbed a biscuit from the box and offered one to Karen, which she gladly accepted. "She hasn't even talked to me so far."

Karen handed him the bowl of gravy. "Well, that doesn't necessarily mean anything," she informed him. "Peyton has other people she can talk to, Luke. You're not the only person in her life."

Lucas glanced at his mother. "I know that," he argued. "It's just…she came to me in the first place. It's a little weird that she's pushing herself to reconnect when she hasn't even dealt with what's going on."

Karen laid a hand on his forearm. "Lucas, I know you care about her," she said softly. Her son glanced up at her. "I know she means a lot to you. But at some point you've got to let her take control of her own life. She needs you there for her; she doesn't need you to control her. All you have to do is be there for her. As far as I can tell you've been doing a great job."

Lucas beamed, pulling Karen into a hug. "Thanks mom-" A loud ring from his cell phone cut him off. Reaching into his pocket, he saw that he had a new text message from Brooke. '_Luke! Peyton's in town! Isn't that awesome? Anyway, I can't hang out tonight. We're having a sleepover! Love you!' _Lucas wanted to smile but found himself feeling sad.

It looked like he'd be sleeping all by himself.

--

Lucas lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was nearly midnight, and even though he hadn't had a full sleep in two days he found it impossible to drift off. He was worried about Peyton, wondering how she was doing with Brooke and whether she was feeling more at ease. A sudden knock on the door shook him out of his stupor.

It was just like the night Peyton had first showed up. Lucas got out of bed slowly, walking to the door, the pounding continuing all the while. When he finally pulled it open, he saw the blonde girl standing there, looking tired as ever. The only difference he could see was that she looked slightly happy.

"Hey stranger," Peyton smiled. "So I know I wasn't supposed to come back tonight, but Brooke wanted to have a girl's night. She was going all out- pedicures, facials, movies, popcorn. I mean, it was a really sweet idea and everything, but-"

"But you're just not up for it," Lucas finished, giving her a lopsided grin. He pulled the door open wider and beckoned her inside. "I was just thinking of you. C'mon in."

Peyton smiled, looking much more comfortable than she had in days. She stepped inside, shrugging her jacket off and tossing it on the chair across the room. Lucas shut the door behind her and stepped closer to her. "So do you think I can stay here another night?" Peyton asked sheepishly.

Lucas laughed. "What do you think?" he asked her. "I'd never say no to you. The bed's all yours. I even warmed it up." He reached for a few blankets and pillows, prepared to set up his bed again, but Peyton grabbed is arm.

"You're not sleeping on the floor," she told him. Lucas opened his mouth to argue but she stopped him. "Your back has to be killing you. We can share the bed; it's not a big deal. Here." She grabbed half the pillows and threw them on the other side of the bed, then reached for one of the blankets and put it there as well. "You put your head there," she said, pointing to the right side of the bed, "and I'll put mine on the other side. It works- trust me, I used to do it with Brooke at every sleepover."

Lucas gave her a fleeting look before jumping into the bed happily. Peyton laughed and sat down on the other side, so that she was facing him. "I knew you wanted the bed," she told him as he settled under the blankets. Lying back, she pulled her blanket over her legs and turned to her side. Lucas reached over to the table and flipped the bedside light off.

They had been laying in silence for nearly ten minutes when Lucas spoke. "Hey Peyton?" he called into the darkness. He heard her flip onto her bed and knew she was looking at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure you can."

He leaned back on his elbows to get a better view of her. She looked a little tired but her eyes were interested. "Why did you come to me? Of all the people you could've gone to when you left New York, why did you choose me?"

Peyton fell silent. Lucas stared at her intently, hoping for an answer, but she seemed lost in thought. After a long pause, she whispered, "I don't know." They stared at each other for a few more minutes. Finally, Lucas gave a defeated shrug and sat back against the pillows. Peyton stared at him for a moment longer, biting her lip, before lying back too. Her mind was clouded with thoughts about what he's asked.

It was nearly three in the morning when Peyton shook Lucas awake. He sat up immediately, worried that something was wrong, but paused when he saw her smiling. "What's up?" he asked groggily.

"I've got an answer," she responded quietly.

"What?"

Peyton leaned forward and let out a deep sigh. "I know why I chose you." Lucas sat up straighter, looking suddenly wide awake, and Peyton felt the urge to continue. She gave him a sad smile. "When I left, I just wanted to go to someone I knew. But more than anything…I just wanted to feel safe. I hadn't felt that way in months. So when I got out of there I just wanted go be with someone who would protect me, be there for me. And you were the first person I saw."

As she finished, their eyes met, and Peyton felt an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. They stared at each other for a while longer, a smile playing on his lips and her cheeks turning red. Finally, Lucas reached out and touched her cheek.

"You're safe with me. I'm going to protect you. I'm going to be here for you." He moved his hand to her hair, brushing a tendril out of her eyes. "You don't have to worry."


	9. Chapter 9

**Update time! This one's pretty long, since I didn't update yesterday. I'm getting my sister into this show. We've been watching season one together for the past few days and she's OBSESSED. I feel so accomplished.**

**Thanks for the reviews, and enjoy this chapter. I have a feeling you will.**

Lucas woke early the next morning, trying his hardest to be quiet as he searched his closet for something to wear. He was unsuccessful- as he pulled out his famous gray sweatshirt, Peyton stirred. She opened her eyes slowly, watching him pull the hooded sweater over his head, and then sat up and gave him a quizzical look.

"Where're you going?" she asked in a tired voice. Yawing widely, she rubbed her eyes with her right hand.

Lucas groped around the closet for a pair of jeans. "School," he responded groggily, pulling out a suitable pair of stonewash pants. He noticed that Peyton was staring at him with a slightly confused look on her face. He smiled. "I still have two months, remember?"

Peyton ran her hand through her messy curls and bit her lip, looking exhausted. "Yeah, I remember. It's just…" She attempted to smile at him. "Everyone I knew in New York was a high school dropout. Hearing the word 'school'- it's kind of unfamiliar."

Lucas gazed at her for a moment, then threw the jeans on the chair beside the bed and walked over to her. He had almost forgotten that she was the same age as him- that if she hadn't left for New York in the first place she'd be going to school with him at this very moment. With everything he had just found out about her, his mind had tricked itself into believing she was an adult. It frightened him to think that Peyton, at the young age of eighteen, had been through more than most adults.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I don't have to go if you don't want me to," he offered, putting a comforting hand on her cheek. "I mean, if you're uncomfortable being alone here I could stay. We could just hang out."

Peyton looked into his eyes for a moment, and then slapped his arm off her cheek and grinned. "Yeah right," she replied sarcastically. "I'm not doing _you _any favors. If you don't like school then drop out, don't use me as a reason not to go." She stuck her tongue out at him jokingly.

Lucas's jaw dropped in mock surprise. "You're evil," he told her, glaring playfully. She shrugged and nodded slightly. Lucas backed off the bed and grabbed his jeans off the chair. "Okay, I have like ten minutes to get ready and eat breakfast. Cover your eyes or something so I can change my pants."

Peyton moved her eyes up and down his body teasingly before bringing her hand to cover them. Lucas made sure she wasn't looking, and then slipped off the sweats he'd slept in and pulled on the jeans. As he zipped them up, he heard her giggling slightly and noticed that she was shaking. "Did you look?" he demanded, but she just shook her head and continued to laugh.

Lucas smiled, grabbing his shoes and socks. "Alright," he began. "I'm gonna go eat breakfast and then go to school. Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Peyton looked up. "Not for a minute," she laughed. "I'll be fine. I think I'll just go back to sleep for a bit, then maybe have some breakfast and lie around. Go on the computer or listen to music…maybe even read."

Lucas nodded, then turned to his dresser and began rummaging around for something. A second later he tossed his I-Pod to her. "I still have a lot of your music on there," he informed her. "It's full battery. Should last you the entire day." Smiling, he walked to the bedroom door and pulled it open. Peyton watched him go, his music player at her side. He paused in the doorway and glanced back at her.

"See you later."

--

Peyton fell asleep soon after and slept for two more hours. When she finally awoke, the house was completely empty. Lucas was still at school and Karen had departed for the Café half an hour after he'd left. There was a plate with eggs and sausage on the kitchen table when Peyton entered, along with a note from Karen with heating instructions. Peyton smiled to herself. It was strange, feeling like someone cared for you, but she was rather enjoying it.

She was going to take a shower after she ate, but the presence of thousands of thoughts in her mind changed her plans. She tried to sit and listen to music for a while but found herself restless as she'd never been before. She used to be able to sit with her headphones in, simply listening to the music in her ears. But now she constantly felt the need to move.

After a while of fidgeting she decided to go for a jog. She was sure the exercise wouldn't affect her arm, which was still heavy in its cast, and was positive that the running could help clear her mind. Brooke had always told her that exercise made people happy. Peyton was sure that the one thing she needed most was happiness. For almost a year she'd been feeling lost and alone, more so over the past six months. But now she was back in Tree Hill, ready to start over and get her life back on track.

She threw on a pair of black sweatpants she'd grabbed from her apartment, along with a dark green sweater with a large hole in the bottom. She only had one pair of shoes with her, the high-tops she'd worn when she left New York, but she didn't care. Slipping into them, she clipped the MP3 player to the waistband of her pants, put in the headphones, and stepped into the cool morning air.

The neighborhood was still quiet, even though it was nearly nine in the morning. There were only a few people outside- she saw two adults in business suits hurrying into their cars and a few young children playing in their front yards, but other than that it was completely deserted. She started at a brisk walk, the music blaring in her ears much louder than needed. She glanced around the street, which was warm and welcoming. She hadn't felt so at home in a long time. It was as though the entire area had its arms open, ready to embrace her. _I really belong here._

Her thoughts slowly went back to the night before. She remembered Lucas asking her why she'd went to him. She remembered lying awake for what felt like hours, knowing all along the answer but too afraid to speak up. The truth was, Lucas was the only person in the world who made her feel safe, save for her father. When she'd walked out on Kyle, she'd considered everyone she could go to. Brooke, Haley, Nathan, and Jake were all considered, but the second her mind reached Lucas she knew he was the right choice. And so when she reached the airport that night, she was already planning what she'd say to him.

Peyton's thoughts now shifted to that night. The night she showed up at Lucas's house. The night she'd boarded a quick flight from New York to North Carolina. The night she'd walked out on Kyle. The most frightening night of her life.

She broke into a fast jog now, the sound of her feet on the concrete somehow breaking through the blare of her music.

_Peyton pulled open the closet door in the foyer. Glancing across the living room, she could see the back of Kyle's head bent over a book. He was completely immersed in the story. He wouldn't notice her._

_Reaching her hand into the right pocket of his black coat, she pulled out a brown leather wallet. If felt thick and heavy in her hand. Her wrist, now completely black with bruises, throbbed painfully._ It'll all be over soon.

_Not wanting him to see her, she hid the wallet at her side and crossed into the hall leading to their bedroom. She turned at the first door on the right, into their small but perfectly decorated bathroom. She closed the door behind herself, trying her best not to make any loud noises. As the door shut, she heard Kyle flip another page in his book. He still hadn't noticed her._

_She turned the water on at a high level. He would think she was just washing her face. Instead, she held the wallet in both hands and pulled it open. Inside were a number of bills of numerous values. He'd obviously gotten paid recently. And obviously he'd forgotten to mention it when she'd been hassling him about the bills that morning. _

_She pulled out two hundred dollar bills and two fifties. The flight would only cost about two-hundred, but she wanted to be sure she'd have enough money for a taxi. It was a long ride from the airport to Tree Hill._

_Peyton felt horrible stealing money from Kyle. It wasn't because she honestly cared, but she got a sick feeling in her stomach when she though about what he'd do if he found out. She wouldn't have had to take the money from him if he hadn't destroyed her ticket. The morning after their fight about her visiting her home town, she'd found the ticket torn into a thousand pieces on their bedroom floor. She didn't have enough time to save up for another ticket. She needed to get out as fast as she could, and if that meant taking his well-earned money, so be it._

_She shoved the money in her back pocket and closed his wallet, doing her best to make it look as though no one had opened it. She was sure she was just being paranoid, but she kept seeing tiny things out of place, like too much of a dollar bill sticking out over the top. Taking a long, calming breath, she glanced in the mirror._

_Peyton had aged at least five years in the last few months. There were strands of gray in her blonde locks and heavy bags under her eyes. She could see wrinkles in her forehead from all the times she'd frowned. She looked as thin and frail as an old woman. But most of all, she looked entirely defeated. _Not for much longer.

_Mustering all her courage, Peyton turned the tap off and put the wallet in her left hand. She opened the bathroom door quietly and tip-toed back to the foyer. The closet door was still wide open. She hurried toward it and reached her left hand inside, her hand groping around for his jacket pocket, eager to put the wallet back._

"_What're you doing, babe?"_

_Peyton jumped, her heart pounding, and shoved the wallet in the left pocket of his coat._

"_N-Nothing," she responded, her voice shaking slightly. She mentally kicked herself and regained composure. "I'm just grabbing my jacket. I was gonna go out and pick us up some pizza. I'm not really up to cooking." She attempted to smile at him as he closed the book and gazed at her._

_Kyle got to his feet and grinned. "That sounds great. Let me get you some money." He started walking toward her._

_Her heart stopped._

"_No, its okay," she argued weakly. "I can pay for it. I got my paycheck two days ago. I'm loaded." There wasn't much else she could say. She prayed to God that Kyle would listen to her._

_Instead, he continued to smile and walk toward her. "Listen, I'll handle the food. You've been doing too much lately. Besides, I just got paid yesterday. I guarantee I have more than you." He stopped in front of the closet and pulled his coat out. Reaching his hand into the right pocket, he fumbled inside it for a moment before withdrawing it, looking confused._

_Peyton couldn't breathe. _Wrong fucking pocket, _she scolded herself._

_Every part of her was telling her to run. The door was a step behind her. She had her keys in her pocket. Her shoes were on. Her bag was already in her trunk. And she had the money. Her mind was screaming at her to turn and flee. But her legs had turned to stone and she couldn't move at all. Her body wasn't listening. She was paralyzed with fear._

_Kyle reached his hand into the left pocket of the jacket and pulled out the wallet. If there was a small suspicion in his eyes from the wallet being in the wrong pocket, it was nothing next to that when he opened the wallet. His dark eyes immediately widened as he noticed that money was missing. He fingered at the bills inside for a moment, counting. After a long silence he looked up at her. The pure hate Peyton had become familiar with was on his face again. He was beyond all reasoning._

_Peyton stumbled backward, her legs suddenly working again as Kyle took a heavy step closer to her. Her mouth was open in an 'o' shape, her eyes wide as she took in his menacing stature. She managed to choke out a few words. "Kyle, no…I didn't-"_

_She was cut off by his fist pelting across her face. She instantly felt a burning pain in her upper cheek, near her eye. She reached her hand up to protect herself, but he merely knocked it away. She felt his hands close tightly around her shoulders before shoving her harshly against the wall. A second later his face was an inch from hers, his breathing hot against her face. Peyton closed her eyes tightly, tears pouring out._

"_You are one stupid bitch, you know that?" He pulled her forward slightly, then knocked her back against the wall again and began to shake her. Peyton whimpered slightly as his hands moved to her throat. _Just fight back!

_He now had one hand on either side of her neck, his thumbs pressing hard down on her windpipe. She didn't remember his grip getting that strong, but suddenly it was hard to breathe. She forced her eyes open, but everything around her was a hazy blur of colors. Her mind was clouding. She took as deep of a breath as she could, but only a tiny trace of oxygen entered her body. His grip on her throat was so tight that it was hurting. Her eyes started to water and she began to feel light headed._

_And then, out of nowhere, she kicked her leg out between his and brought her knee up. Kyle's hands immediately unwrapped from her neck and moved to his groin as he doubled over in pain. Peyton's head spun for a moment as she tried to comprehend what was happening, but her body acted on its own. She brought her knee up once, twice, three more times. Kyle let out a yell of pain, bent over so much that he was nearly sitting. Peyton felt herself reach out and hit him across the face. He fell backward, landing on the floor with a loud crash, still groaning. _

_Everything was suddenly coming back to her. Her head was throbbing, her eye stinging and her neck sore. She was shaking from head to foot as she stared at Kyle on the ground below her, rolling around in pain. Peyton gazed at him for a few moments, her heart racing again. And then, almost instinctively, she pulled her leather jacket from the closet, put it on, pulled the door open, and ran out._

_She sprinted down the long stretch of concrete between her apartment and the stairs. Her breath was coming in short gasps, her heart beating a mile a minute. Peyton flung herself down the stairs, taking three at a time, eager to reach the bottom. At the last step, she landed on the side of her ankle and felt it twist. A second later she heard a loud crack and came crashing to the ground._

"_Agh!" Peyton cried out in pain, grabbing her left ankle with her hands. It was throbbing. She could instantly tell it was sprained. It felt limp even without any pressure on it._

_She forced herself to look back up at her apartment. The door was still wide open, a light on inside. Peyton could see Kyle's shadow cast on the door. He seemed to be on all fours now, as though trying to stand up. A second later, she saw him getting to his feet. Reaching her hand into her pocket and pulling out keys, she forced herself to stand up. The pain was immediate in her ankle but she willed herself to run, putting as little pressure on it as possible. Her car wasn't very far._

_As Peyton reached the car, she could tell Kyle was close behind her. She could already hear his loud footsteps. Hand shaking, she tried to shove the key in the hole but missed. "C'mon, go in," she was muttering, her hand still shaking uncontrollably. A second later, almost as though God had done it himself, the key finally went into the lock and Peyton turned it. She wrenched the door open, threw herself inside, slammed it shut, and pressed down on the lock. A moment later Kyle was beside the door, pounding on the window with one hand, the other trying to open the door. He was screaming at her._

_Peyton shoved the key in the ignition and quickly backed out of her spot. It took only a few seconds before Kyle had run in front of the car. He put his hands on the hood, his face screwed up in anger as he continued to yell._

"_Get out of the car, Peyton!"_

_She gave him the middle finger. "Move!"_

_Kyle slammed his fist on her vehicle and let out a stream of cuss words. Peyton glanced in her rear view mirror, looking for another way out. A few feet behind her was the curb, and a few feet behind that was a fence. Cars were lined to her left and right. Kyle was in front. She was trapped._

"_Peyton, get your skinny ass out of the car!"_

"_Get out of my way!"_

"_Get out of the fucking car, Peyton!"_

_She stared at him for a long moment, into those hating eyes. Her blood was boiling now. She wasn't going to let him stop her. She was getting out of there no matter what it took. Shifting the car into drive, she screamed back, "Move!" Kyle simply pounded his fist on the car again and let out an angry noise._

_Peyton shut her eyes tightly and pressed her foot down on the gas. Her tires squealed loudly for a moment, and then she felt the car moving quickly. A second later she heard something heavy hit the windshield, then flip over the top of her car and roll off. She immediately pressed down on the brakes and opened her eyes. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, she felt her heart stop._

_Kyle was lying in a heap on the ground a few feet behind her. It wasn't clear if he was alive. There was no blood or visible large injuries, but he wasn't moving at all. Peyton's breath caught in her throat as she stared at his form. A moment later she opened the car door and stepped out, one foot still inside. She turned and stared at his body over the top of her car, her mind racing. Part of her was screaming to check if he was okay. She was about to pull herself out entirely when she stopped._

_Her cheek was still stinging. Her head was still throbbing. And her wrist hurt like hell._

_Peyton climbed back into the car and shut the door. Pulling her seatbelt over her shoulder, she shifted the car back in drive. She took one last glance at Kyle in her mirror. He still hadn't moved. Biting her lip, she moved her eyes to the window in front of her. Peyton pressed down on the gas and sped off, her tires screeching loudly as she rounded the corner._

Peyton slowed into a walk, grasping a stitch in her side. There was sweat all over her face. She realized that the I-Pod hadn't been playing any music for a long time. She was breathing very heavily.

She threw herself down on the ground. She was back in front of Lucas's house. She had run the entire neighborhood without noticing. Her mind was still clouded with terrible memories. She felt a warm, prickling feeling behind her eyes. Pulling the headphones out of her ears, she felt her entire body shaking. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.

Leaning against a tree, Peyton let out a loud sob.


	10. Chapter 10

**Grr… practice ACT exam tomorrow. Every other grade gets to skip school. This isn't fun. I hope you enjoy this update more than I'll enjoy tomorrow:)**

It wasn't the last time she saw him.

_Peyton arrived at the airport a short time after, gasping for breath as though she'd just run a marathon. Her mind was clouded with thoughts. _What if he's dead? What if he finds me? What if he _kills _me? _She was shaking so much that she could barely hold her hand steady as she handed over the cash for her ticket. _

_She'd been lucky. There weren't many people flying from New York to North Carolina, so securing a seat had been easy. She only had to wait ninety minutes to board her flight. Getting out of town would be much easier than she thought._

_It was when she was waiting in the security check line that she first saw him. He was running around the main lobby searching for her. He looked slightly beat up- there was a cut on the side of his head that was bleeding freely and he was limping. _Serves him right. _Peyton prayed that he wouldn't see her. As long as she got past security unnoticed, she'd be okay._

_She wasn't that lucky._

_She stepped through the metal detector, her heart pounding. There was a brief silence, followed by a beeping noise above her and a small flashing red light. A guard pulled her back to the other side, and as he did Peyton looked back toward the lobby._

_Kyle was looking straight at her._

_She pretended like she didn't see him and turned her attention to the guard. He was busy trying to figure out what had set the alarm off. In almost an instant he noticed the cause of the problem: her heavy belt buckle. She pulled it off hurriedly and was about to walk back through the detector when she heard a yell._

"_Stop her! Stop that stupid bitch! Don't let her through!"_

_Kyle was pushing his way through the long line, elbowing adults and children out of the way, screaming to the security guards. As he reached the front of the line he stretched his arm out to grab her, but a guard hopped in his way._

"_Sir!" The guard was visibly angry. Peyton turned slightly on the spot, staring at Kyle through a tangle of hair. The guard pushed him back. "Get out of the line or we'll use force!"_

_Kyle struggled against the man holding him, his eyes not leaving Peyton. "No, no, no," he argued. "This one- that blonde girl- she nearly killed me. She stole my money! She's the one you want!" He was panting now, his eyes glinting madly. Peyton turned all the way around, keeping her eyes glued to the floor._

_A second officer glanced at Peyton. "That true, m'am?" he asked in a gruff voice. Peyton glanced up for a moment. Everyone in the line was staring now. The officer tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "M'am?"_

_Peyton looked up at Kyle. He was still staring at her, looked alight with malice. She bit her lip, trying to think of what to say. After a long moment, she squeaked out, "No." Kyle's eyes widened and the guard holding him glanced between them. Peyton cleared her throat and found her voice. "I don't know what this man's talking about. I've never seen him in my life."_

_Kyle gave a loud grunt and trying to run at her, but the guard merely pushed him back, this time with heavy force. "You stupid bitch!" Kyle screamed, spit spraying everywhere. He continued to fight against the taller man holding him but was unsuccessful. "You lying whore!"_

_The second guard rushed forward and helped the other. They pushed Kyle backward, then reached into their belts and pulled out their nightsticks. Almost instantly Kyle raised both hands in defeat, his eyes still on Peyton. She dropped her head and turned away from him, her face burning._

"_You've got three seconds," she heard one officer say in an angry voice, "until we get reinforcements. I suggest you get the hell out of here."_

_Silence, and then the sound of running footsteps._

_The guards both took their places on either side of her. The one who had been holding Kyle said, "Sorry about that. There are some crazy people out there, eh?" to which she gave a small laugh and a nod. _

_The guard nodded his head toward the other side of the detector and she walked through. There was no alarm this time. She was fine._

_A little less than an hour later, Peyton was boarding the plane to North Carolina._

--

Lucas's day at school had been nothing eventful. He had to endure almost an hour of Brooke talking about Peyton's return, trying his hardest not to bring up that they'd been sharing a room for a few days. He'd simply nodded and said things like, "Wow!" every time she gave him another interesting face he already knew. He felt wrong lying to Brooke but at the same time he wanted to respect Peyton's wishes. He was sure Brooke would understand.

Most of the day his mind was on Peyton. He worried about her through every single class. He wondered what she was doing, whether she was okay, if she felt safe… At lunch he even contemplated going home to check on her. He was halfway to his car in the parking lot when he stopped. _If you don't stop protecting her she's never going to get better. _

Instead he'd spent lunch listening to Brooke tell Haley and Nathan all about Peyton's return. There was one moment where Nathan sent Lucas a fleeting look, but for the majority of the time he listened intently to everything Brooke said. Haley seemed absolutely ecstatic to have one of her best friends back.

"Maybe all three of us can have a girl's night?" she offered happily as Brooke recounted how Peyton hadn't been up to it. "I can bring free food from the Café!"

By the end of the day Lucas was exhausted. Between worrying about Peyton, lying to Brooke, and struggling to pay attention in math, he was ready to collapse in the middle of the hallway before he went home. But the thought of seeing Peyton again, of know for sure how she was holding up, gave him the energy to drive home. He was just climbing into his car when he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Nathan walking toward the car.

"Hey man," Lucas grinned.

Nathan nodded at him. He stepped close to Lucas and leaned in, obviously not wanting to be heard. When he spoke, his voice was low. "So how long has Peyton been back?" he asked.

Lucas felt his stomach drop. He looked up at Nathan, his forehead creased. His heart was pounding. Nathan simply smiled.

"Dude, it was pretty obvious," he laughed. "When I saw you at the drug store, you were going down an aisle for hair care products. You haven't talked to anyone in three days. And now we find out that Peyton's back, staying at some mysterious motel that nobody knows about."

Nathan paused for a moment, crossing his arms, while his brother gaped. After his mom found out, Lucas had tried to be more cautious. He hadn't expected anyone to figure out that he'd been hiding Peyton. He wondered how much Nathan knew.

"Look, Nate," Lucas began awkwardly. "I know I should've told you guys. It's just that Peyton didn't want me to and I didn't want to disrespect that-"

Nathan held up a hand to stop him. "Luke, I really don't care," he said simply. "This doesn't affect me. And I can understand why you kept it from Brooke. If Peyton didn't want anyone to know she was back, it wasn't your place to tell." He took a step back from Lucas, shifting his backpack from his right shoulder to his left. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm not going to say anything. This can be between me and you. See you tomorrow."

--

When Lucas arrived in his room Peyton was sound asleep on his bed. He noticed that she looked slightly sweaty and that her shoes were thrown on the floor, along with his i-Pod. He assumed she'd gone out for a walk, maybe even a run. As far as he could tell she looked fine.

"Guess you can do okay with out," he murmured as he walked past the bed. Peyton rolled onto her back and gave a small snore.

Lucas entered the kitchen and immediately hurried to the pantry, his stomach growling. Karen would be working all day but had left him money to order a pizza. He wanted to wait until Peyton woke up to order, so he could give her a chance to choose what to put on it. _Maybe pineapples and bologna, _he thought, remembering their discussion about how she'd lived on pizza after her mom died.

It wasn't until he was halfway through making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that he noticed a red light flashing on the answering machine. He walked to the machine, taking a large bite from his snack. There was one new message from an out-of-area call.

Feeling curious, Lucas reached down and hit play on the machine. For the first few seconds he could hear what sounded like a car driving and someone grunting. Then a harsh voice cut in.

"Peyton? Are you there? Listen, I found this number in your phone book. Some guy named Lucas Scott. If you're there, pick up the phone! You can't keep running away from me after what you did. Stop being a coward and get your skinny ass back home, or so help me God I will hunt you down and do it myself."

It didn't take three seconds for Lucas to realize who was calling. He quickly hit the 'Delete' button on the machine. If Peyton's ex-boyfriend wanted to hunt her down, he'd have to get past Lucas first. Making sure the message was completely erased, Lucas stepped away and began to put the peanut butter away. He was just closing the cabinet when the phone rang. The shrill sound caused Lucas to jump. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was once again an out-of-area call.

He picked up anyway.

Lucas didn't say anything at first and didn't hear anything on the other end. It was complete silence for a few second, and then he heard a heavy breathing. Seconds later, a man's gruff voice spoke.

"Peyton?"

Lucas swallowed. He could feel his heart pounding, his temperature rising. Anger was surging through every part of his body. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak.

"Leave her the hell alone, or so help me God I will hunt _you _down."

And he slammed the phone down.


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I'll be honest. I've probably had plenty of time to update lately. But it's been PERFECT weather this past week so I've been outside. Plus, I'm sort of in a rut with this story. I know EXACTLY what I'm gonna be doing in a chapter or two, but for right now its like, "What do I do in-between?" No need to worry, though. I won't give up on this story. There might be bigger gaps between updates but they'll be up eventually. I promise.**

Peyton woke up shortly after. Lucas didn't mention anything about the message or the call as they argued over pizza.

"We could get mushrooms," he offered. Peyton gagged. "Fine, we'll get cheese. That way everyone's happy," he said, to which Peyton smirked triumphantly.

Peyton grabbed the phone off the receiver to hand to it Lucas. She was about to drop it in his hand when she pulled it back. Grinning, she glanced at the screen. "Let's see who's been calling Lucas Scott," she said in a sing-song voice, scrolling through the recent calls. Lucas made a quick swipe for the phone but she pulled it out of his reach.

A second later the smile slid off her face.

Peyton's eyes became wider as she stared at the number on the screen. Though there wasn't any name, she recognized those digits. She gaped at the familiar number, and then moved her eyes to Lucas. He stared back at her in silence, a knowing look on his face. "Did-he called here?" Peyton stuttered.

Lucas sucked in his cheeks, not answering. He simply stared back at her with slightly pleading eyes, begging her to drop the topic, but she didn't. Dropping the phone on the table, Peyton sat up straighter in her chair, looking as though she was falling apart at the seams. "Lucas, did he call?" she asked, sounding frantic.

Lucas's mind was racing as he tried to figure out what to say. He paused for a moment, and then spoke. "Did who call? I was outside on the phone with Brooke for a while. She wants the gang to go to her place to catch up." He admired his quick thinking. It was even partially true- at school Brooke had been going on about how much she wanted to host a "Welcome Home!" party for Peyton.

Peyton gave him a hard, probing look. She was sure he was lying to her, the way he refused to look her in the eye for more than a few seconds. She stared at him a moment longer before dropping her shoulders. She figured there was no point in pressing the matter. Lucas would keep lying to her no matter how many times she asked.

"Fine," she snapped, throwing the phone back at him. "And a party sounds fun. When are we going?" She raised her eyebrows, waiting to see his reaction.

Lucas smiled back quickly. "Let me just call Brooke and tell her we're ordering pizza," he replied. "I'll tell them to deliver it to her place. And then we can get going."

--

Ten minutes later, Lucas and Peyton sat side by side in his car, on their way to Brooke's apartment. It had taken some time for Lucas to talk to Brooke, convince her that he'd seen Peyton earlier in the day and knew where she was staying, and get her to call Nathan and Haley for their get together. The whole time he was outside on the phone he could see Peyton pulling back the curtains and watching him, obviously interested in why he was taking so long. Eventually Brooke had agreed, sounding extremely excited, and Lucas had ordered the pizza quickly. He had kept his mouth shut about the conversation he and Peyton had earlier, and thankfully she didn't speak of it either. It seemed they both wanted to just have a good time with no worries in sight.

"So you're sure Brooke believed you?" Peyton asked, glancing at Lucas.

He looked back at her, frowning slightly. "Yeah, I'm sure. I don't know why it's a big deal though. Shouldn't we just tell her you've been staying with me?" But even he knew that idea was out of the question, and he wasn't surprised when Peyton raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah?" she shot back. "Do you want to be the one to tell Brooke that I've been sleeping in your bed since Friday night?" She stuck her tongue out at him as he gave her a defeated look. Crossing her arms, Peyton glanced down at the cast around her wrist. "God, I can't stand this thing. My arm's been itching like hell since I got it on. Hasn't my bone fixed itself yet?" She impatiently groped in her bag for a pen to soothe the itch.

Lucas grinned and put his arm around her shoulder. "It could be worse," he said optimistically. "At least you still have your arm. Besides, it's been like two days since you got it on. No more complaints."

Peyton leaned her head against Lucas's shoulder, closing her eyes. They drove in silence for a long time, and then they finally pulled into the parking lot outside Brooke's apartment. Nathan's car was already parked, and from the lot they could see lights on in Brooke's room.

Lucas got out of the car, and then hurried around to Peyton's side to hold the door open for her. She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly before stepping out of the car and thanking him quietly.

"Are you ready?" Lucas asked as he slammed the door shut, shoving his keys in his pocket.

Peyton shrugged, her blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders. "I guess."

Together they walked up the steps and stopped in front of Brooke's door. They could hear Brooke, Nathan, and Haley talking loudly inside. Lucas reached up and knocked. The voices inside died down, there were heavy footsteps, and a split second later the door swung open.

"Peyton!" Brooke screamed as she threw the door open. A moment later her arms were around Peyton for the thousandth time since she'd been back. Brooke gave Lucas a smile and a nod, then grabbed Peyton's arm and dragged her inside excitedly. "Nathan, Haley, look who's here!"

Nathan smiled at Peyton, then hurried over and pulled her into a tight hug. "It's great to see you again, Peyt," he told her. Pulling away, he looked down at the cast on her arm. "Well, obviously you're still clumsy as hell." He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair, making her curls tangle. Giving her one last grin, he stepped sideways for Haley.

Haley smiled at Peyton and walked over to her. "It's really amazing to see you," she whispered, wrapped her arms around the blonde. "Seriously, it's sucked here without you," Haley continued. "There's no good music anymore. If I have to listen to Brooke's Spice Girls CD one more time, I'm gonna hurl."

Brooke reached up and hit Haley lightly on the head as she pulled away from Peyton. "Don't pretend like you haven't been singing along to every song," Brooke grinned. She gestured toward the table in the middle of her kitchen, which was covered with bottles of beer and soda, as well as large bowls of chips and dip, and a large deck of cards. "I thought we'd make the evening interesting with a little strip poker. Or maybe just poker, if you guys want to be lame."

Peyton instinctively crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Lucas glanced at her, understanding immediately. Walking to Brooke, he said, "Let's just skip the 'strip' part. We don't want to scare Peyton back to New York." Brooke shrugged, grinning, and then pulled a chair out.

"Oh best friend!" she sang. "Come take your seat at the head of the table! I was going to decorate it with balloons and streamers but I spent all my money on the food. Sorry about that."

Peyton walked over and took her seat, beaming at Brooke in thanks. "It's no problem," she laughed.

Brooke took a seat to the right of Peyton, Lucas to the left, and Nathan and Haley on the other side. Nathan grabbed the deck of cards and started dealing while Brooke tore at a bottle of beer and Lucas dug through the chips, offering some to Peyton.

And the rest of the night was history. Peyton laughed louder than she had in six months. She talked to Nathan and Haley for the first time since she'd left. She got caught up on the latest Tree Hill gossip, listened to Brooke rant about sluts from local schools, learned of the Ravens' newest basketball recruits. She listened as Nathan recounted just how evil Dan had been since she left. She laughed as Haley discussed her latest conversation with her parents and how they were doing on their tour of the country.

In those few hours she sat with her oldest friends, Peyton started to think that maybe –just maybe- her life would be okay after all.

--

It was past midnight by the time Peyton and Lucas arrived at his house. It had taken some time for Lucas to convince everyone that Peyton's motel was on his way home and he could take her. Everyone wanted to see where Peyton was staying.

"How long are we going to keep this charade up?" Lucas had asked Peyton when they got in his car.

Peyton had simply shrugged and retaliated, "How long 'til you kick me out?" to which Lucas laughed loudly and wrapped his arm around her.

Peyton crawled into Lucas's bed the moment she entered his room. Despite the numerous naps she'd taken since she'd been in Tree Hill, she felt exhausted. She was sure it would take a while before she got her energy back completely. Lately she'd been feeling like she needed at least twelve hours of sleep a night.

Lucas checked his cell phone before getting into bed. There was a text message from Brooke. "Tonight was awesome! We should do it again tomorrow! P.S. I've got a surprise for you!" He smiled to himself, placing the phone on his dresser.

A moment later Lucas crawled into bed beside Peyton, this time both their heads next to each other. Peyton raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. "I just thought we could talk a bit before going to sleep," he said.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Lucas, you're getting far too clingy," she remarked jokingly. Lucas punched her playfully on the shoulder and she giggled.

"Seriously, though," he continued, wrapping his arm around her. "How was tonight?"

Peyton gave him a genuine, toothy smile. "Tonight was really great," she said breathlessly. "I was worried it would be awkward, but I had such a good time. I really missed everyone. Nathan, Haley, Brooke…hell, even you."

Lucas gave a mock-upset look. Peyton laughed, then craned her neck up and pecked him on the cheek. She dropped her head back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. Lucas stared at the wall across from him for a moment, looking confused, then leaned over Peyton.

"What was that for?" he asked.

Peyton shrugged. "Do I need a reason?"

Lucas opened his mouth to respond, still positioned above her with his arms on either side of her body, when he heard someone outside his door. A second later it flung open and a familiar voice called out.

"Oh, Luke! I've got your surprise!"

Brooke's voice died immediately as she stepped in the room. Her mouth was slightly open as she stared at the bed, seeing Lucas poised over Peyton. Her dark eyes widened and her eyebrows rose involuntarily.

Lucas stared back at Brooke, his mouth hanging open. Peyton pushed herself up on her elbows, causing Lucas to move off of her. She too stared at Brooke, feeling her face turn bright red. Across the room, Brooke's eyes were glowing.

She stared in complete silence at the two of them for a long moment. Her face began turning pink in anger and embarrassment, and Peyton was sure she saw tears glistening in Brooke's eyes. When Brooke finally spoke, her voice was hoarse and angry.

"I should've fucking known."

A second later the door slammed behind her as she left the room, leaving Peyton and Lucas together on the bed, horrified at what had just happened.


	12. Chapter 12

**OH MY GOD! ONE TREE HILL! Sorry, I'm just so excited its back on! Wednesday was awesome. A little over the top and hilarious, but it was still great. I'm so psyched for next week. Fingers crossed for a fifth season. We should know by May 17****th****, when the CW discusses who will get renewed. I think it's pretty likely, though. We got great ratings on Wednesday, and now that Gilmore Girls is cancelled there's yet another open space in the lineup. I don't know what I''' do if OTH is cancelled.**

**I was going to update last night, after Spider-Man 3, but Spidey ended up being an hour and a half longer than I expected, not to mention tiring. I passed out the moment I got home. Today was my mom's birthday, so I couldn't update earlier. But no worries, there's an update now.**

"Brooke! Brooke, come on, let me explain."

The next few minutes blurred past Peyton. One moment she and Lucas had been seated uncomfortably next to each other in the wake of silence Brooke had left behind. Now the door was wide open, Lucas right outside it, yelling at the top of his lungs, while Peyton sat with her knees curled to her chest, a sick feeling in her stomach.

Lucas continued to yell, and Peyton even heard his heavy footsteps descending down the two steps beside the door. He was completely unsuccessful in getting Brooke's attention- a second later Peyton heard a door slamming heavily and tires screeching as Brooke sped off.

It was suddenly silent again. Peyton pulled her knees closer, biting her lip to stop herself from throwing up. She felt suddenly very dizzy, like her brain was registering everything that was happening seconds too late, as though she was actually dreaming. She moved her unwrapped hand to her side, clenching the sheets to steady herself. Lucas came back into the room, breathing heavily, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I can't even-" he muttered. He ran a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly upset. "How did that happen?"

Peyton moved her hands back around her legs, even though it left her feeling like she was on a swaying boat. She swallowed heavily, forcing herself to look at Lucas, even though he was doing his best to avoid her eyes.

"Luke, I'm sorry," Peyton blurted out. "I'm _so_ sorry. This is entirely my fault! I should've told Brooke the truth." She reached a hand up to scratch the back of her neck, feeling awkward. "I'm really sorry," she repeated breathlessly.

Lucas was already shaking his head firmly. "It's not your fault," he murmured, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly and still refusing to look at her. "I messed up. I never should have lied to her." He grabbed his cell phone off the dresser and began to dial.

Peyton jumped to her feet, feeling more out-of-place than ever. She hastily approached the door to the outside porch, tottering slightly, her vision blurred. She still felt sick to her stomach with the guilt and anxiety of what had just taken place.

Peyton's quick movements forced Lucas to look at her. He gave her raised eyebrows, one hand holding his cell phone to his ear. Peyton could hear Brooke's cheery voicemail on the other end. She signaled to Lucas that she was just going outside to get some air and let him be alone. He shrugged, and then turned away from her.

"Brooke, pick up the phone. Let me explain, okay?"

It was the last thing Peyton heard before she slammed the door, stepping into the cool air outside. She shivered slightly, pulling the gray sweatshirt tighter at the neck, her teeth chattering. The fresh air certainly made her feeling better: the sick feeling in her stomach subsided and her forehead felt less warm immediately.

Peyton collapsed on one of the steps, putting her face in her hand. She groaned loudly and took in a few deep breaths. Inside she heard Lucas let out an angry yell. It was obvious Brooke still wasn't picking up. Peyton threw her head back, staring up at the starry sky, her breath appearing in front of her.

She could clearly remember the last time she'd looked up at this same night sky. The last time she'd had the same empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been the night she had arrived in Tree Hill.

Shutting out the sounds of Lucas pleading with Brooke inside and the image of the star-strewn heavens, Peyton forced herself to think of that night. It was the only time in her life that she'd rather think about something having to do with Kyle than deal with what was going on around her. She drew in a deep breath, images and voices filling her mind. That night had been confused, frightening, and comforting all in a few hours. She was sure it was a night she'd never forget.

_Peyton sat in the backseat of the yellow cab, flipping through the bills in her hand. She bit her lip, her blonde curls falling over her face. Glancing back up at the meter, she sighed._

"_Can you stop the cab here?" she called to the driver, her voice small and feeble._

_The driver looked at her in the rearview mirror, one eyebrow raised. "Lady, we're in the middle of nowhere. I can't drop you here," he said gruffly, with a surprisingly strong Boston accent._

_Peyton looked back at him, her eyes sad and tired. "I haven't got enough money."_

_In a second the driver pressed down on the brakes heavily, causing the cab to screech to a halt. He reached back, his palm open, waiting for the money. Peyton handed it to him, with only two dollars left over for herself. She smiled at the driver, reaching for her backpack and throwing it over her shoulders. Sighing heavily, she pushed the door open and got out._

_The driver didn't even wait for her to get safely off the road before speeding off. Peyton crossed her arms and spun in a circle, trying to identify where she was. She recognized the area immediately. She was about a mile and a half, maybe two miles, outside Tree Hill. It was only midnight, and she was sure if she walked quickly she could find a place to stay._

_But she didn't want to walk. All she wanted to do was collapse right where she was. She was completely drained, both physically and emotionally. Her entire body ached- the blows she'd received from Kyle were finally starting to catch up with her. There was a sharp, unbearable pain in her ankle every time she put pressure on it. Tears permanently clouded her eyes. Her breathing felt restricted and shallow. She was quite shocked she was still standing._

_Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Peyton hoisted her bag higher on her shoulders and began to walk. She winced slightly as she stepped with her left foot but pushed through the pain. If she wanted any help at all, she needed to keep going._

_Peyton had walked about a mile when the area began to look like an actual town. The first thing she saw was a bright neon sign reading, "All Night Diner". The light on the letter 'g' was out, and the rest of the words were blinking rapidly. Peyton could see a large semi in the parking lot. She hurried across the street, eager to get some coffee to keep awake._

_She stepped inside the diner, a small bell ringing above her head. The waitress behind the counter, a plump woman with mousy brown hair, gave her a warm smile. Peyton attempted to smile back, walking to the counter and taking a seat. The man there was obviously the driver of the truck outside. He nodded at her gruffly, his five-o'clock shadow glowing brightly against his white and red cap._

_The waitress moved her way down the counter to Peyton. Her nametag read, "Nancy," in large black letters. She was dressed in a pink blouse with a bright white apron around her waist. Nancy pulled a pad of paper and a pen out of her pocket, looking concernedly at Peyton._

"_What can I get you, sweetheart?" she asked softly._

_Peyton shrugged the green bag off her shoulders, dropping it to the floor next to her. She glanced at the waitress, pulling the two dollars out of her pocket and holding it over the counter. "How much is a cup of coffee?" she asked quietly._

_Nancy smiled. "Just a dollar. I'll bring cream and sugar too."_

_Peyton sat in silence for a few minutes, her hands twisting and pulling at a napkin she'd grabbed from the dispenser. She was aware of the man next to her looking at her with concern, obviously noting the bruises on her wrist as well as the scratch on her cheek. She chose to ignore him, glancing in the opposite direction out the window, even though it was too dark to see anything._

_She was shaken out of her stupor at the sound of a plate dropping in front of her. Turning back to the counter, she glanced down at a full plate with a large hamburger and fries, as well as a glass of soda and the cup of coffee she'd originally ordered._

"_Oh, I didn't order this," Peyton murmured, pushing the plate away hastily. Nancy smiled at her, looking slightly sad._

"_I know you didn't," she said kindly. "But it's on the house. All of it," she added, as Peyton held a dollar out to pay for the coffee. Peyton nodded awkwardly, giving a thankful smile as she shoved the money back in her pocket. Nancy placed creamer and a few sugar packets beside the mug. "Now you eat up and then get some rest, sweetie. You look like you've been to hell and back."_

_Peyton laughed and gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks," she said. Nancy nodded and stepped away, and Peyton immediately began to dig into her food, her stomach growling loudly. _

_Peyton reached into her bag and grabbed a pen, and then grabbed another napkin from the dispenser. As she ate she sketched on the napkin, feeling relaxed and comfortable. When she finished her meal, she placed the two dollars in her pocket on the counter, along with the napkin. Nancy was nowhere in sight, so Peyton slipped out of the diner as quietly as possible. As she reached the door, she glanced back at the counter. She could clearly see what was on the napkin: a picture of Nancy the waitress, smiling widely, along with a scribbled note, "Thank you so much for everything."_

_Peyton felt much more refreshed the rest of the journey. The next half a mile seemed like a short walk. Within no time she was back in Tree Hill for the first time in half a year._

_Even at night the town looked exactly the same. The small, welcoming shops had clean windows and bright signs in them. Trees and bushes lined the streets, blocking the modest-sized houses from view. Even when it was pitch black the town screamed, "Welcome!" Peyton found herself smiling as she prowled the streets, still knowing them like the back of her hand._

_It was ten minutes later that she found herself standing outside Lucas Scott's door. Her feet had automatically guided her to his house. She now stood hesitantly on the porch, shifting her weight to anxiously, her heart racing. _What should I say? What is he going to say? Will he hate me? Will he even _remember_ me? _Millions of thoughts ran through her head as she stared at the screen door. Her heart was thumping so loudly against her ribcage she was shocked it didn't wake Lucas. Swallowing heavily, she felt her eyes filling with tears once more. She raised a shaky hand to the door, ready to knock._

"_Here goes nothing," she murmured._

Peyton jumped as the door behind her creaked open. Lucas stepped out, closing the door softly behind him and rubbing his hands together for warmth. Peyton gave him a sad smile.

"Any luck with Brooke?" she asked in a small voice. Lucas shook his head, scratching the back of his neck. Peyton smiled sadly. "I'm really sorry," she said, for what felt like the millionth time that night.

Lucas sighed greatly and took a seat beside her. "Don't be sorry," he said in a tired voice. "It's not your fault. You didn't want Brooke to know and I wasn't going to betray that. It was just bad timing, that's all." He craned his neck back, staring at the indigo sky.

Peyton put her arms around her knees again, almost instinctively. "Well this sucks," she sighed. She felt Lucas nod beside her. Turning her head, she attempted to smile at him, but her lips refused to curl into a grin. "So what do you want to do?" she asked.

Lucas scratched his chin, looking more exhausted and confused than Peyton had seen him before. He seemed to be thinking for a moment before responding. "Go to bed, I guess. I'll take the floor." He pushed himself to his feet and held a hand out to help Peyton up. She grabbed it and stood also, pulling at the neck of her sweater.

They stared in opposite directions for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. But this time their thoughts weren't about Brooke. Lucas was the one to speak first, turning his eyes back to Peyton's face. "Look, Peyton, about earlier…before Brooke walked in," he began, reaching his hand subconsciously to the spot on his cheek where Peyton had kissed him.

Peyton felt her stomach drop again. She held up a hand to stop him, her body shaking from both the cold and the unease at what he was going to ask. "Just forget about it," she whispered sadly.

Lucas stared at her intently, confusion and hurt registering on his face. Peyton continued to stare at the ground, the sick feeling back. There were a few more moments of silence before Lucas gave a small, "Okay," in response.

Peyton shifted her weight uncomfortably, a new batch of tears forming in her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Now that I've gotten to a comfortable spot in this story, I'll probably be updating more often. It was just those two chapters in between where I wasn't sure what to write. But now I'm at the point I wanted to be at! New update, hope you enjoy!**

Peyton lay in the bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling without really seeing it. It was five hours later and she still hadn't slept a wink. Every time she closed her eyes images popped into her brain- Brooke's shocked face, Lucas's upset eyes… even herself leaning over him before other events unfolded. It was like she'd taken three steps backward. She was just starting to get comfortable in Tree Hill, but recent events left her sleepless and feeling scared. She hated it.

The alarm on the bedside dresser went off, signaling Lucas to wake up and get to school. Peyton saw his hand reach up immediately from his spot on the floor and slap the off button. Obviously he hadn't been sleeping either. She didn't say anything as he got up, stumbled to the closet, and began to change. She simply sat where she was, not moving, her eyes watching his every movement. He didn't notice that she was awake.

"Good luck with Brooke today," Peyton finally said as Lucas approached the door. He jumped at her voice and turned on his heel to face her. She gave him a weak smile.

Lucas smiled back, took his hand off the doorknob, and walked to the bed. "Did I wake you?" he asked.

Peyton shook her head quickly. "Didn't sleep," she murmured, and Lucas nodded knowingly. She pushed herself up, wrapping her hands around her knees like she'd done the night before, and Lucas took a seat beside her. She sighed, running a hand through her tangled curls. "So today's gonna suck, huh?"

Lucas grinned, exhaling loudly through his nose. "Oh yeah," he murmured, stretching his arms out in front of him. Reaching a hand up to scratch the top of his head, he changed the subject. "What're you planning to do today?"

Peyton shrugged. "I don't know- take a walk or something. I haven't really had the chance to walk around town. It'd be refreshing." She gave him a half-smile, raising her shoulders to her chin. He attempted to smile back, but she could tell his thoughts were still on Brooke. "Any clue what you're gonna say to her?" Peyton asked softly.

Lucas shrugged. "Nah, I figure I'll just wing it when I see her. She probably won't listen anyway."

Peyton nodded, biting her lip. "Okay. Just…um, just don't tell her why I've been staying here, okay?" she whispered. "I know it's the only explanation you've got but I think I should tell her myself." She dropped her knees over the bed and crossed her arms.

Lucas turned to face her, looking sympathetic and slightly shocked. "Of course I'd never tell Brooke," he told her. "That's your decision and you'll do it when you're ready." He gave her a weak smile, and a second later wrapped him arms around her. Peyton was momentarily shocked, but quickly wrapped her arms around him also and rested her head on his shoulder. They broke away a minute later, each looking more flustered than before.

Lucas got to his feet. "So I'm gonna eat some breakfast and then be off," he informed her, his face slightly red. Peyton nodded, swinging her legs onto the bed and resting against the pillows. "See you later."

--

Peyton tried to sleep for the next two hours but found it impossible. She heard Lucas leaving, and an hour later she heard Karen wake up and start cooking breakfast. The smell of bacons and eggs gliding through the door convinced her to finally get up. When she entered the kitchen she saw Karen putting two full plates on the table.

"I was just going to wake you," she told Peyton, smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

Peyton shrugged, feeling awkward and wondering if Karen heard the showdown with Brooke the night before. But it seemed Karen didn't know what had happened- she merely gave Peyton a sad smile, pulled out a chair for her, and said, "Things will get better. Why don't you sit down and have something to eat?"

The two sat next to each other at the kitchen table, silently digging into their breakfasts, occasionally breaking the silence with a few words.

"Are you planning to do anything today?" Karen asked casually, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Peyton scooped another large spoonful of eggs on her plate. "Yeah, I thought I'd take a walk. I feel like I need to clear my head." She felt slightly uncomfortable talking to Karen. It had been a long time since she'd last seen Lucas's mom, when she was starting to regard her as her own parental figure. Half a year and a mess of events had changed how Peyton felt around Karen. She almost felt like a disappointment, and therefore tried her best to keep quiet.

Karen nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "Well I have to go open the café soon, so I'll just clear up this mess and be out of your way." She smiled, picking up her plate and walked to the sink. Turning back to the table, she crossed her arms. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Peyton. I'm here for you."

Peyton nodded and forced a small smile. "I know," she said. "Thank you so much for breakfast-" She was cut off by the shrill sound of the phone ringing.

Karen hurried to the receiver and grabbed the phone. Glancing at the caller ID, she murmured, "Out of area," before pressing the end call button. "Who knows who that was. No point in answering, it was probably some solicitor. Anyway, you're welcome for the breakfast, Peyton. I'm going to take a shower and get ready for work and I'll see you later tonight. Lucas mentioned something about cooking us dinner." She grinned, obviously recalling Lucas's cooking skills. "I'll have money ready to order pizza, just in case."

Peyton laughed, also picking up her plate and getting to her feet. She smiled at Karen as she went upstairs, then placed her plate in the sink and reached for the phone. Checking to make sure Karen had gone upstairs, she dialed 69 and put the phone to her ear. After two rings the phone was answered.

"Peyton?" came Kyle's rough voice. He sounded like he hadn't slept in days. "Is that you?"

She felt her stomach drop, her nausea returning. The room was suddenly spinning, everything around her blurred into a mess of colors. Peyton let out a shallow, shaky breath before pressing the end call button and throwing the phone down on the table.

--

Hours later, Peyton sat on the grass by the river court, gazing in the water, completely lost in thought. She'd spent the entire day wandering the town, and by now her feel felt so swollen that she had actually taken her shoes off and was resting her feet in the cool grass. The sun was slowly inching more to the west, ready to set. Peyton felt no urge to leave- at that moment she felt completely at peace.

The sound of a basketball dribbling behind her caused her to turn. Lucas was approaching her, clad in his infamous grey sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, bouncing a ball at his side. He gave her a friendly grin and shot the ball at the hoop from the three-point line. It swished easily and bounced down the court into the grass, rolling toward the spot where Peyton sat.

"Hey stranger," Lucas said, taking a seat beside Peyton and reaching for the basketball. He bent his knees slightly and rested his arms on them.

Peyton smiled back, the wind blowing her hair into her eyes. "How was school?" she asked casually. Lucas lifted his eyebrows quickly and pursed his lips, and she nodded knowingly. "What did she say?"

Lucas laughed. "She didn't say much of anything. Well, except, 'Stay the hell away from me, bastard,' if that counts as conversation." He picked up the ball and began to spin it on his finger, looking lost in thought.

Peyton rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry, Luke," she said sadly. "It sucks that you have to pay for all of this. If I'd just been honest from the start there wouldn't be any problems." Lucas stopped spinning the ball and placed it in the grass. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

Lucas raised one eyebrow at her and put his arm around her shoulders in a soft hug. "You've got to stop saying that," he informed her in a quiet voice. Peyton's hand automatically moved to his chest, the other still resting on her knee. "None of this is your fault, okay? Whether you want to accept it or not, that's the truth."

Sighing heavily, Peyton moved her hand off his chest and rubbed her eyes. "I know," she said in a breathy, tired voice. "It's just-" She paused, listening to the sound of cars passing and people talking across the river. Swallowing, she continued. "I just feel like I've messed everything up since I've been here. I've been putting it on you to take care of me and I hate that." She pulled herself out from his arm, turning her waist to look at him. Lucas had a concerned and slightly loving expression on his face. "I've been freeloading off you for days and I feel like you've sacrificed so much for me. Friends, trust, your girlfriend… It's not fair. I shouldn't be doing this to you. I don't want to keep messing everything up," she finished, feeling slightly breathless and her heart racing again.

Lucas looked at her with sad eyes. He reached a hand up to stroke her cheek, and Peyton immediately felt a chill through her spine. "Peyton," he began weakly, "you haven't messed anything up. You have to believe me on that. I wanted to be here for you- I still want to be here for you." He moved his hand from her cheek and grabbed her hand in his. Peyton felt her cheeks burning, but nevertheless allowed him to grasp her hand. His eyebrows were creased in worry as he continued. "I haven't sacrificed anything for you. To tell you the truth, I'd rather be sitting here with you than anywhere else in the world. Who cares if I haven't done something with Nathan in a few days? What does it matter if Brooke took something the wrong way? What matters most to me is you- how you're doing, what you're feeling. You coming here has been like- like a breath of fresh air for me, and I would never change it."

He was staring so intently into her eyes that Peyton felt like he was reading all her thoughts. She stared back at him, a burning, prickling feeling at the inner corners of her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. "Sometimes I just feel so _weak_…"

Lucas squeezed her hand tightly, reaching his other hand up to her cheek. "You are not weak," he told her. "I know you're hurting right now, but if it's any consolation at all, I think you've been handling the entire situation amazingly well." He gave her a half smile. "You're strong, Peyton."

She gazed into his eyes for a long moment. "Thank you," she finally said.

Lucas smiled back. "No problem."

Peyton cut him off. "No, really, thank you." She was staring at him with a burning fire behind her eyes. She paused before continuing. "Lucas, you're probably the greatest person I know. These last two years haven't exactly been the best of my life, but you've always been here for me. Even when you were dating Brooke, even when we weren't talking…you always found a way to be right beside me." She swallowed. "When I decided to leave New York and come back here, I was scared. I didn't know who to go to, what to say. But when you came into my mind- it was like something just clicked. I knew right away that if I went to you I would feel safe… and happy. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. It's so rare that I feel like that with anyone." She pulled her hand out of his and placed it in her lap, a strange feeling coming over her. She felt both awkward and completely comfortable at the same time. Her head was spinning. "So thank you, for being here for me. I don't know where I'd be without you."

She stopped, feeling slightly breathless, her face burning against the chilly air. Lucas stared at her in complete silence, his mouth slightly open, his eyes searching hers. Peyton barely noticed that he was leaning closer to her, and she to him. She felt her gaze involuntarily move further down his face before glancing back into his eyes- and suddenly her own were closing lightly as the air around them grew thick and warm.

A second later, their lips were touching.


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm so happy OTH is back on now. It makes my week to get to watch it. And Leyton sex this week, eh? Pretty cool. I'm glad Brooke and Peyton are friends again. I know a lot of Leyton-ers insist on hating Brooke, but I really like her (well, when she isn't being a horrid bitch, anyway). Next week looks really great. PsychoDerek scares the crap out of me. I hope Peyton kills him then and there.**

**Alright, update.**

Peyton wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted. She was completely oblivious to everything expect her lips against his. Her mind dully registered his hand moving to cup her face and hers resting softly against his chest. She barely heard a car driving loudly past the court. She was in a state of total bliss.

And then something clicked. _Lucas. _She was kissing Lucas, who was not her boyfriend. Lucas, who was dating her best friend. And said best friend was already angry with the two of them for sharing the same bed and lying to her about it. No matter how right it felt, it wasn't.

She pulled back almost instantly.

Lucas stared at her in slight shock, his jaw stretched forward and his mouth slightly agape. He looked confused about what had just happened. After a moment he seemed to come to his senses, and immediately started stuttering. "Peyton, I…"

Peyton ran a hand through her hair, her heart pounding. "We shouldn't have done that," she muttered, feeling sick and tired again. Lucas opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by a shrill ring from his cell phone.

He flipped his phone open and glanced at the screen, his forehead creasing more each second. "It's…Brooke," he said, his eyes scanning the message again. "She's on her way to my house. She wants to talk." He flipped the cell phone shut and glanced at Peyton.

"Look, Luke," Peyton began, feeling awkward. Her lips were still tingling, her cheek burning where his hand had been moments before. The air seemed much thicker and she was finding it difficult to breathe. Swallowing, she said quickly, "You should go."

Lucas tilted his head slightly, looking shocked and hurt. "Peyton," he began in a hoarse tone, but when he saw her shaking her head he redirected the sentence. "Peyton, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have done that."

Peyton gave a little wave, but her hand was shaking uncontrollably. "It's- just forget it," she murmured. "You should really go." Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. All she wanted was to be alone again.

Lucas stared back at her, tossing his phone in his hands nervously. His mouth was hanging open slightly as he struggled with his words. His mind seemed to have gone momentarily blank. "I- We'll talk later?" He couldn't think of anything else to say. Peyton nodded impatiently. He ran a hand over his face. "Okay, I'll go."

Lucas got to his feet awkwardly, glancing down at Peyton. She kept her eyes on the river, not really seeing it. There was an odd numbness taking over most of her body. She felt completely powerless to do or say anything.

"I should, um," Lucas began, shifting his feet. "I should give this to you." He bent down and placed his phone in the grass beside her. Peyton looked at it, then up at him, and then back at the river again. He kept his eyes on her, confused. "I'll just call you when I'm done talking with- her. Okay?"

Peyton nodded slowly, shivering as a strong gust of cold wind hit her, blowing her curly hair over her face. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them, in which she could feel Lucas's eyes burning holes in the back of her head. After about a minute she heard him mutter something and start walking away.

--

Lucas jumped into his car, thrust the keys in the ignition, pressed hard on the gas, and drove off as quickly as he could. His mind was still racing, trying to comprehend everything that had happened in the last few minutes. Peyton's speech, his response, the kiss… _Did I really kiss her?_

He pressed his foot on the brakes as he neared a red light, his heart pounding. His mind was screaming at him to keep driving, to go home and work things out with Brooke. But there was a small, much more subtle feeling in the pit of his stomach that was telling him to turn around. Telling him to go back to Peyton.

As the light turned green again, Lucas pulled into a quick U-turn. His foot became heavier on the gas as he sped up to almost eighty miles an hour, his eyes set on the road in front of him. In his mind he saw Peyton's shocked face after she'd pulled away from him. He saw the guilt, the confusion and sadness in her eyes.

And he saw the slight accusation there directed toward him. The look that simply read, _"Why the hell did you do that? You have a girlfriend!" _He knew that she was upset with him. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to her when he showed up.

Lucas's hands were shaking as he pulled the steering wheel quickly to the right, making another sharp U-turn. His tires screeched against the pavement as he sped off in the direction of his house.

Though his heart was completely disagreeing with his mind, he told himself aloud, "I have to do this first."

--

Peyton wasn't sure how much time had lapsed. The sun had almost fully set, now just lingering on the edge of the horizon, the sky almost completely black save for a dull orange glow. She noticed that it was unusually quiet where she was. There wasn't anyone across the river, nor were there any cars driving past. She glanced down at Lucas's cell phone, still lying in the damp grass. It hadn't rung yet.

Footsteps behind her caused her to jump. The steps sounded familiar. She sighed loudly, running a hand through her hair again. "Lucas, I told you, leave!" She pushed herself to her feet, shoving the phone and her hand deep inside the pocket of her sweater. Turning on her heel, Peyton glanced around at the person standing closely behind her.

Her heart stopped. For a long moment she simply stared, her eyes wide, saying nothing.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she whispered eventually.

There was a harsh laugh and two more heavy footsteps. "No, the real question is, what the hell are you doing here?" Kyle snapped.

--

As Lucas pulled into his driveway, he immediately saw Brooke sitting on the steps outside his room. She looked a complete mess, her hair tangled and frizzy and her face red from crying. When his headlights hit her, she wiped at her face furiously and got to her feet, crossing her arms in the process.

Lucas stepped out of the car, slamming the door loudly and shoving his keys in his pocket. He said absolutely nothing, and neither did she. He walked closer to her, feeling slightly guilty as he stared at her tear-stained face. She seemed more upset than she had earlier in the day.

He stopped dead in front of her, shoving his hands into his pockets awkwardly. "So, do you want to go inside?" he offered. "It's kind of cold out here." He pulled the door open and held it for her.

She gave him an angry stare before stepping into his room. Lucas sighed heavily entered also, closing the door behind him. He hit the lights, shielding his eyes as the brightness filled the room. When he'd finally adjusted to the light, he saw Brooke staring around in complete silence. Her eyes moved from Peyton's full backpack on the bed, to her mess of clothing covering the floor, and to the bag of makeup on the bedside dresser.

"So how long has she been staying here?" Brooke's voice was raspy and she sounded less than pleased.

Lucas thought for a moment, reminding himself that Brooke already knew the truth, so there was no point in lying. He swallowed. "She showed up early Saturday morning," he responded dully. Brooke's back was to him, but he saw her head moving in a curt nod. He felt the urge to continue, to explain. "She didn't want me to tell anyone. Had she given me permission to, I would've told you right off the bat. But I didn't want to betray her trust."

Brooke swung around, looking angry now as opposed to hurt. "Oh, so you'd rather betray _my_ trust?" she snapped. "You'd rather lie to my face continually about another girl sleeping in your bed? Especially when that girl is Peyton!" She ran a hand through her hair, her hand shaking uncontrollably. She looked more hurt and upset than Lucas had ever seen her. "What's going on between you two, Lucas?"

He knew this was coming. Brooke's assumptions, her accusations of his infidelity. It was all he could do to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Brooke, nothing's going on between me and Peyton," he argued. "I'm just being here for her."

Brooke crossed her arms again, pursuing her lips, her eyes shining with tears again. She seemed to be struggling with the idea of saying something. After a long moment of biting her bottom lip, she spoke. "Really?" Her voice was cold and angry. "Because on my way over here, I passed the river court, and guess what I saw, Lucas? You and Peyton kissing."

Lucas felt his stomach drop.

"You want to tell me what that was about?"

--

Kyle two a few more furious steps forward. "Are you gonna answer me? What are you doing here?" His eyes were glowing, his jaw twitching. He seemed slightly insane.

Peyton stepped backward, stumbling slightly as the ground beneath her switched from the pavement of the court to grass. She was fingering the open phone in her pocket, her hands tracing over the numbers 911 softly. When she spoke, her voice shook. "How did you find me?"

Kyle threw his head back, laughing. "It's really not that hard when I call someone asking for you, and they tell me to leave you the hell alone," he spat. Peyton's eyes widened in surprise. For every step he took toward her, she took another back. Kyle quickened his pace. "You don't want to answer my first question, that's fine. I've got another one. Who the hell were you kissing before?"

Peyton gulped. _How long has he been watching me? _She dialed the numbers 911 into her phone, her finger now lingering over the call button. She was frightened, but she felt the need to wait before calling for help. For all she knew, nothing would happen.

"Can you hear me, bitch?" Kyle shouted, his voice breaking the stillness of the night.

Peyton found her voice. "Why-why do you care who I kiss?" she stuttered. "I'm not…I'm not even with you anymore, Kyle. I thought I made that clear when I left."

Kyle snorted, stopping in his tracks. "You mean when you stole my money, ran me over, and hopped a plane to a different state?" he asked.

"Oh, don't even start with me!" Peyton shouted back. She was getting angry again, just as she always did when she fought with Kyle, an action that almost always led to a black eye. "I wouldn't have had to steal your money if you hadn't torn up my ticket. I wouldn't have had to run you over if you'd just gotten out of my way!" She was breathing heavily now, her face screwed up in anger and her eyes filling with furious tears. "And I sure as hell wouldn't have had to leave if you didn't attack me every day!" She paused, biting her lip, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. It was the first time she'd admitted, aloud, that her boyfriend beat her. There was an instant weight lifted from her shoulders, but it did nothing to settle her stomach.

Kyle raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Attack you?" he laughed. He looked livid. "Don't give me that shit, Peyton. You got off easy." He took a heavy step toward her, rolling the sleeves of his shirt was he went, looking as though he was about to enter a fight to the death. "You don't even know what I'm capable of."

Peyton pushed down on the call button, and a second later his fist shot across her face.

--

"Brooke, I-"

Lucas stared at her, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide. He hadn't been expecting this. He never thought it possible for her to know about something that had occurred such a short time ago. He was utterly speechless. There was nothing he could say to her.

A fresh stream of tears came pouring out of Brooke's eyes. She uncrossed her arms, shoving her hands deep in her pockets, looking suddenly awkward and confused. "So I'm guessing I didn't just imagine that," she murmured.

He continued to stare at her, his mouth still agape, completely at a loss for words. The house phone on his dresser rang loudly, but he chose to ignore it.

When the ringing stopped, Brooke took a deep breath. "Lucas, tell me the truth," she said quietly. "Do you- do you love her?"

Lucas forced himself to laugh. "Do I love her?" he asked incredulously. "Brooke, she's one of my best friends. Of course I love her." Deep down he knew that wasn't what he meant, but it was easier to stray away from what she was really asking.

Brooke sighed angrily. "I'll rephrase the question," she shot back, sounding exasperated. "Are you_ in_ love with her?"

Lucas's breath caught in his throat. He stared at Brooke, his heart pounding, his tongue tied at the back of his mouth. He exhaled slowly, his mind processing the question. He wasn't sure how to answer. "Brooke-" he began, shifting his weight uncomfortably, but he was saved the task of answering when the phone rang again. "I should get that," he murmured, crossing the room to pick it up. Brooke closed her eyes tightly, as though she was trying to block out a nightmare.

Lucas picked up the phone and instantly heard a shaky breath on the other end. "Luke, is that you?" came Haley's voice. She sounded like she'd been crying. In the background he heard Nathan talking to someone with a deep voice.

"Haley, what's wrong?" Lucas asked, his voice filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

She responded almost immediately. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just- Nathan and I were driving past the court and… there's something going on. There's ambulances and police and-"

Brooke let out an impatient sigh, and Lucas instantly cut Haley off. "Look, Haley," he began, giving Brooke pleading eyes. Something in his mind dully registered the river court, but at the moment his attention was on the question Brooke had just imposed on him. He stood up. "Haley, I'd love to talk, but I'm kind of in the middle of something right now. I'm glad you're okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

He took the phone from his ear, his finger moving to the end call button, but Haley's frantic yell on the other end caused him to lift it back to his ear. "Lucas, wait!"

Brooke let out an impatient groan, but he ignored it. "What, Haley?" he asked, his voice louder than before.

Haley let out a long, shaky breath. In the background, Lucas could hear the sirens of a police car and the sound of commotion. "Lucas," Haley said. Her voice sounded raw with tears. "I think…I think its Peyton."


	15. Chapter 15

**Whoo, update! Enjoy.**

The next few minutes were a blur. Lucas dully remembered mumbling something about Peyton to Brooke, her shocked face, and the two of them hurrying into his car. He went at least double the speed limit, passing stop signs and running red lights in his haste to reach the court. He was there within a few minutes- such a short amount of time that the ambulance was surprisingly still there.

Haley and Nathan sprinted over as Lucas jumped out, leaving the keys in the ignition. Haley was shaking from head to foot, her cheeks red and tearstained, while Nathan stood next to her with a look of complete shock.

"Where is she?" Lucas asked, his breath coming in short gasps. "Is she alive? Is she okay?" He heard the passenger door of his car slam as Brooke hopped out.

Haley motioned to the ambulance with her head, while Nathan wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "She's- I don't know. I haven't gotten close enough to see."

In a second Lucas had pushed past her, Brooke hot on his heels. A police officer was squaring off the court with yellow tape, but they both simply ducked under it and hurried to the center of the chaos. There were three police cars parked in the center of the court and an ambulance off to the side, where most of the uniformed officers were gathered. He could see a mess of paramedics rushing around the group, talking quickly in loud voices. He began sprinting in earnest to the car, pushing everything in his way aside as he went. Brooke was still behind him, breathing heavily and sounding tearful.

He was feet from the ambulance when an officer jumped in front of him, holding an arm out to stop him. "Sir, you need to get back. Nobody is allowed past the tape right now. Please step away."

Lucas was about to argue back, to tell the officer who he was, but a loud scream from Brooke cut him off. He glanced at her and saw, with a sinking feeling, that she was staring into the ambulance with wide, fearful eyes. He followed her gaze to the vehicle, his eyes staring through a mass of uniformed people, and felt his own heart stop.

Deep inside the ambulance he could see a stretcher, with a curly-haired someone lying on it, obviously in bad shape. Two paramedics were leaning over her, talking in fast voices and looking slightly panicked. One was holding a bloodstained towel against her, yelling at his partner to grab him another. It was even more chaotic in there than it was out on the court.

Brooke was completely sobbing now, but she pushed past the officer and approached a paramedic determinedly. "Her name's Peyton Sawyer," she choked, her voice shaking with fear. "Her blood type is A negative, she's allergic to penicillin…" Lucas stood next to Brooke and glanced at her. Her face was screwed up in concentration: she was obviously trying to remember the various medical facts she'd gathered about Peyton throughout their friendship. "She was born three weeks early-"

"Does she have any family in the area we can contact?" one of the paramedics, a female, called. She was inspecting Peyton's mouth with a flashlight, obviously trying to see the airway.

Brooke shook her head. "No, her dad lives in Rhode Island and her mom's dead." She was wringing her hands together anxiously, as though not quite sure what to do with them.

The paramedic glanced to the front of the ambulance as the engine started. She looked back at Lucas and Brooke, placing her flashlight down and reaching for a bottle containing a clear liquid. "Listen, we really need someone who knows this girl's medical history. We have a better chance of saving her if we can get information fast."

Lucas and Brooke both looked at each other, each of their eyes glazed with tears. They were both mentally debating who should go in the ambulance. As much as Lucas wanted to be beside Peyton, he understood that Brooke's knowledge was more useful. "You go," he told her, feeling his heart break. "You can help her more than I can right now."

Brooke looked momentarily shocked. She glanced at the paramedic, who had an impatient look on her face, and then back at Lucas. "Are you sure?" she asked breathlessly.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, you go. I'll be right behind you with Nathan and Haley."

Brooke stared at him for one more second, then gave a quick nod and jumped into the back of the ambulance. Lucas slowly backed away from the vehicle, shoving his hands deep in his pockets as he went.

"Is there any history of respiratory illness in the family?" the male paramedic asked.

Brooke shook her head. "Not that I know of," she replied quickly, glancing down at a clipboard the female had placed in her hands. Her eyes were moving rapidly as she scanned the words. A second later, the door of the ambulance slammed shut, the lights and sirens turned on, and the vehicle was speeding off the court and down the road.

--

By the time Lucas, Nathan, and Haley arrived at the hospital, Brooke was already sitting in the waiting area outside the emergency room, tears pouring down her face, her entire body trembling.

"They took her into surgery the moment we got here," Brooke informed them, getting to her feet and crossing her arms. "They wouldn't tell me what was wrong with her- but…it looked bad. _Really _bad."

Haley collapsed into Nathan arms, breathing heavily and unevenly. He wrapped his arms around her, digging his face into her hair, his shoulders shaking. Lucas stood in complete silence, staring at the doors of the emergency room, his head spinning and his legs like jelly. Brooke glanced at him worriedly, then pulled him into a chair before his knees could give way. "She'll be okay," Brooke said quietly, her voice fierce with determination. "This-it doesn't happen this way. She's gonna be okay."

The wait felt like an eternity. Lucas switched positions at least a dozen times, never fully comfortable. At one point he was lying upside down on the chair, his legs in the air and his head resting heavily on the floor. His mind seemed to be on overdrive. He spent minutes at a time debating whether or not he should speak up about Peyton's secret. He wasn't sure whether it would be appropriate or not. Every time he opened his mouth to speak, he got a sick, nauseous feeling, and was forced to close his jaw tightly. Everyone else was restless too- Nathan alternated between sitting with his arms around Haley and pacing the halls, his hands deep in his pockets. Haley was completely silent, her head in her hands. It was impossible to tell if she was awake or not. Brooke stared wide-eyed at the door, occasionally breaking the silence with words like, "She's okay; if she weren't we'd have known by now." Every time the door of the ER opened, the four of them would sit up straight and stare, apprehension all over their faces, letting out low whistles as the doctor approached a different group of people. It was the same pattern all night- anxiety, fear, temporary relief, anxiety, and fear all over again. Lucas was sure the clock was broken- it was unbelievable that only two hours has passed.

A long time later, the door of the emergency room burst open again, and an older looking doctor began walking toward them swiftly. Lucas, Brooke, Haley, and Nathan all got to their feet, their hearts stopping. Haley grabbed Nathan's hand and squeezed it tightly. Lucas felt Brooke's shoulders shaking against his. The doctor glanced down at his clipboard, then at the four of them, looking confused.

"My name is Doctor Cruse. You're all here for Peyton Sawyer?" he asked in a wheezy voice, adjusting his glasses. They nodded quickly. "Are any of you immediate family?"

Lucas shook his head. "No, we're not, but-"

The doctor cut him off. "I'm sorry, but hospital policy says we can only give out information to immediate family at this point." He marked something on his clipboard and shoved the pen in his pocket.

Lucas was about to argue back, but Brooke beat him to the punch. "Listen to me," she said in a deadly quiet voice, and it was remarkable how she could translate her pain and fear into blatant anger so easily. "This girl doesn't have any family around right now. Her mom isn't alive. Her dad works on a drudging boat in the middle of the ocean and there is no way of contacting him. He could be gone for weeks. I'm Peyton's best friend; I have been my entire life. We're all her friends; we're all here for her. We're the only people sitting in this lobby waiting for her. We're as good as her family. So unless you want to withhold information about her for God only knows how long, with a pissed of _me_ in the process, I suggest you tell us what the _hell_ is going on." She finished, breathing heavily with anger, her shoulders still quaking.

Doctor Cruse stared at Brooke in shock, his eyebrows disappearing into her gray comb over, his glasses fogging. He pulled them off and rubbed them clean vigorously, his eyes still on the group of teenagers. Placing his glasses back on his face, he cleared his throat. "Okay, then…"

Haley sighed with relief as the doctor began flipped through his clipboard. Lucas bit his tongue, holding his breath, his head spinning.

The doctor's eyes moved quickly over the information in front of him. "Ms. Sawyer was admitted with many serious injuries," he told them. "She had three broken ribs, one of which punctured her left lung, making it very difficult for her to breath. Excessive blows to her abdomen caused much internal bleeding there, which we were able to stop to a point." The four continued to stare at the doctor in silence. His words were doing nothing to comfort them- his use of the past tense was actually scaring Lucas more than anything. Doctor Cruse flipped to a different sheet of paper before continuing. "There was also some swelling to her brain- that went down rather quickly, giving us no reason to suspect excessive damage. Her left wrist- which was already heavily bandaged- was completely shattered. She was in very bad shape." He paused, glancing at them all. They were completely silent.

It was Nathan who finally spoke. "But- she's alive, right?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, she is," he told them. "Currently she is in the Intensive Care Unit. She is hooked up to a ventilator, which is breathing for her. She's also on six different bags of medication, which are keeping her stable, as well as blood transfusions. We have put her in a medically induced coma for now. Her body will have an easier time recovering if she isn't awake with stress or anxiety."

More silence. The four were unsure of how to respond. Lucas felt completely numb to everything going on. His mind refused to register what he was being told. He couldn't find his voice.

Haley broke the silence this time. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked shakily.

Doctor Cruse bit his lip. "It's hard to say," he began in an honest voice. "She is in very bad shape. The fact that she needs machines and much medication to keep her alive is not a good sign. The next twelve hours are crucial. If she can make it through these without any serious complications, she should be fine. It all hangs on that."

Haley nodded slowly. Her face was very pale; she looked like she was about to be sick. Nathan reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. Lucas still hadn't moved.

"Can we see her?" Brooke asked.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, you can. She's in ICU, room 349. Normally we'd only allow two in the room at a time, but given the circumstances-" He broke off awkwardly, then suddenly glanced backward, to the door of the waiting room, where two uniformed officers stood. "However, some officers would like to speak with you briefly first. They are trying to gather as much information as possible to help them find her attacker. It should only be a few minutes, then you're free to visit Ms. Sawyer." He gave them a sympathetic look, a small nod, and then turned on his feet to leave. As he stepped away, the two officers began walking toward them swiftly.

The male policeman spoke first. "We're very sorry about your friend," he told them sympathetically. "This will take less than five minutes- we'd just like to gather some information about her. Firstly, does she have any known enemies?"

Brooke, Nathan, and Haley all glanced at each other, unsure of who should speak first. Lucas crossed him arms, staring intently at the floor. Inside his head, he was screaming about Peyton's situation, but the words couldn't make it past his tongue. He still felt nauseous. Beside him, he heard Brooke respond, "No, none that we know of. She hasn't even been living here for the past six months. She was in New York. She just got here a few days ago."

The man nodded, glancing at his partner, a tall and thin female. "Is she involved in drugs? Does she deal or buy?" the woman asked, her eyes stopping on Lucas, who had his head bent. "Sir?"

Lucas glanced up. "N-no," he stuttered, his head spinning. "She's not into that kind of stuff." It was strange how difficult it was to mutter four small words: 'her boyfriend beat her'. He dropped his head again, anxious to get upstairs and see Peyton. He tried his best to ignore the voice screaming at him to speak up.

The woman nodded slowly, obvious dissatisfied with his answer. "Okay then," she said, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. "If we could just get your names and numbers, so we can call you if we need further information. Then you're free to go." She handed the paper to Haley.

They passed the sheet around quickly, scribbling their names and phone numbers almost illegibly in their haste. Lucas continued to struggle with himself. His mouth was permanently open but he couldn't get a sound out. He wrote his information and handed the paper to Brooke, who grabbed it, wrote her name and number swiftly, and handed it back to the officer. The woman took it and smiled, turning to her partner. Brooke, Haley, and Nathan turned to the elevator and began walking slowly. Lucas's legs felt like stone. Suddenly he found himself speaking.

"She had a boyfriend."

The two officers turned away from each other and faced him, their eyebrows raised. Behind him, the other three stopped walking and stared at him in silence. Lucas glanced back, giving them an apologetic look, before continuing.

"When she showed up at my house a few days ago, she was in a bad state. She had… a black eye and an injured wrist. She had a lot of bruises and cuts." He swallowed heavily. There was complete silence behind him, but he could feel the other three staring at the back of his head. In front of him, the female officer pulled out her pad of paper and began scribbling. "She- she didn't want to talk to me but I kept probing her. She all but admitted that she'd had a boyfriend and that he hit her." Behind him, he heard Nathan punch a wall in anger. He paused briefly before continuing. "The guy- he called yesterday. He left a message asking for her and then he called again. I told him to leave her alone, I- God." Lucas could feel tears forming in his eyes. His voice was at a whisper now. "I never should have let him know she was here, I shouldn't have said anything."

There was a stunned silence. The officers gave each other a meaningful look. He heard Haley give a dry sob. The female cop closed her pad of paper and tucked it into her pocket. "Okay, Mr. Scott, if you'll just come with us. We'll need to question you further."

Lucas glanced at her, tears threatening to pour from his eyes. "Can't I just- can I see her first?" he asked quietly. The woman sighed, turning to her partner, who gave her a dubious look. "Please," Lucas said. "I just- I need to see her. I have to. Please."

The woman looked at him sadly and thought for a moment. After a moment, she replied, "Of course you can see her first. But we'd like to question you sometime tonight. This is a matter we need to address soon." She waited until she was sure Lucas had understood before continuing. "We'll send someone by within the hour to pick you up. The questioning shouldn't take too long. You'll be able to come back as soon as you're finished."

Lucas nodded again. "Okay," he agreed. All he wanted was to see Peyton, to see that she was okay. Nothing else mattered at this point. The officers both nodded back at him before turning away to leave, talking in low voices. He watched them out the door, his heart pounding. He turned slowly, feeling sick and scared.

Brooke, Haley, and Nathan all stared back at him, horror etched into their faces.


	16. Chapter 16

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Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, and Haley stepped into the elevator, completely silent. Haley pressed the button to the third floor, her hand visibly shaking. Nathan was breathing rather heavily out his nose, obviously holding in his anger. Brooke stood silently, her arms crossed, looking impatient and scared. Lucas kept his head down, his eyes examining the marble floor beneath his feet. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but when he first entered the elevator he thought he saw a trace of accusation in the others' eyes, as though they were screaming, "_This is your fault!"_

He couldn't blame them for feeling that way. It was a thought that had been in and out of his mind the entire night. He mentally retraced his steps, remembering every moment since Peyton had showed up, pin-pointing areas that he wished he could change. _I shouldn't have picked up the phone, _he told himself over again, thinking back to when Peyton's attacker had first called. _I shouldn't have said anything. I shouldn't have left her alone. I shouldn't have turned back around._ More than anything he wanted to say these words aloud. He was sure that to do so would ease the weight of the guilt on his shoulders. But at that moment, silence seemed the only option. The only noise he heard was the sound of a bell chiming as the elevators doors opened at the third floor.

Lucas stepped out of the elevator last, still staring at the ground. He adjusted the visitor's badge he'd received before entering the elevator, making sure it was clasped tightly onto his jacket. As he looked up, he noticed that the area that the four now stood in was a very small white room. Three of the walls were completely bare. The one straight ahead of them held a very large gray sign with black lettering. "ICU: Intensive Care Unit," read the first line in bold letters. Below it was a small paragraph explaining the ward.

"Where's her room?" Brooke asked, glancing left and right. On either side of them was a set of double doors. Lucas noticed that beyond each set of doors was a short stretch of ground before another set, and then the actual ward- an obvious safety precaution.

"I think it's to the left," Haley noted, pointing to the sign. Near the bottom were two arrows pointing in opposite directions, each with a set of room numbers above it. "She's room 349, right? It says rooms 300-350 are to the left." She grabbed Nathan's hand impulsively and began pulling him down the narrow hall. Brooke followed immediately, keeping a short distance between herself and the other two. Lucas hesitated a moment, his hands deep in his pockets, before turning on his heel and following them.

They approached the first set of doors. There was a small sign hanging to the front of it, which Haley read rather quickly. "We have to wait until these doors close behind us to open the next set," she informed the group. "It's just a precaution. There are a lot of people here with illnesses. They want to keep the area as clean as possible." She pressed the button to open the door, ushering the others inside first and stepping in herself. Once the door behind them shut, she pressed the next button, and they proceeded inside.

There were two nurses at the station ahead of them. They were deeply immersed in a patient's file, bending over to get a good look at it. They glanced up briefly at the group, but seeing their badges, gave small smiles and turned away. Brooke had rushed to the front of the group now, leading their way down the hall to the right. With each step, Lucas became more aware of what he was about to see. There was a nervous, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He slowed down slightly, trying to clear his head.

Brooke stopped abruptly, causing Nathan to bump into her and Haley into him. "Sorry," Brooke said quietly. She gestured at the sign outside the room. _349._ She was biting her lip now, glancing at the others as though waiting for a hint of what to do. They stared blankly back at her, clearly just as lost as she was. "I guess we go in, then."

She cast a meaningful glance around the hall, as though savoring the calm atmosphere of the white and pink walls, the bright fluorescent lights, and the vibrant paintings. She looked more pained and frightened than she had all night. Swallowing heavily, she stepped into the room. Nathan and Haley paused for only a moment before following her in. Lucas's heart was pounding loudly again. He stared blankly ahead, swallowed heavily, and followed the other three into the room.

Lucas instantly felt the cold, miserable atmosphere of the room, even before he had a chance to look at his surroundings. The room was oddly silent, save for the consistent beeping of a machine beside the bed. The walls were a bright white, but not in a comforting way- it was chilling, almost haunting. It felt unusually cold. The lights were very low compared to the brightness of the hall. But Lucas didn't notice any of those things immediately. His eyes were on the bed.

Peyton was lying flat on her back, her eyes closed lightly and her mouth shut, her hair tangled and frizzy. There were minor cuts and scrapes along the side of her face. Her arm was wrapped heavily and resting on a stack of pillows beside her. Lucas felt a nauseous feeling as he noticed the countless tubes- some down her nose, some in her arms, one even trailing down a small incision in the side of her neck. Her chest was rising and falling heavily in time with the beeping of a machine beside her. A small screen above her bed showed numerous lines and numbers, the different functions of her body that were being monitored. The lines were jetting between high and low on the scale, completely unstable. At the bottom of the screen was her temperature. _102.2. _

She wasn't okay.

Lucas was speechless. He stared at Peyton, his mouth hanging open slightly, his eyes immediately filling with tears. He wasn't sure what to say or do. He could feel his entire body going numb from the shock of it all. There was a loud buzzing in his ear, preventing him from thinking properly. He was frozen.

Beside him, Brooke reached a hand up to cover her mouth, tears pouring down her cheeks. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. Nathan seemed to be holding his breath, his arms hanging limply at his sides. Haley was sucking in her cheeks, looking very pale and sickly, her leg twitching. They seemed completely stunned.

Lucas broke the silence first, searching for something to say, something to make it all okay. Instead, he found himself choking out, "I should call my mom…"

"I'll do it." Haley turned to him, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. She gave him pleading eyes, desperate to leave the room. She looked like she would pass out if she had to be in there any longer. "I'll be right back." She backed outside rather quickly, opening the phone as she went and dialing Karen's cell phone.

Brooke moved suddenly, rushing to a chair beside Peyton's bed, her legs shaking. She collapsed into the chair and leaned forward, placing both her hands over Peyton's free one softly.

Lucas swallowed heavily. "I can't," he began hoarsely, his mouth dry. "I can't believe I let this happen. This is my fault. I should've said something." He wrung his hands together nervously. He wanted nothing more than to take a seat beside Peyton and hold her hand also, but his legs seemed to have turned to stone. It was like his body was refusing to do anything his brain told it to. He was rooted on the spot, staring blankly at Peyton's calm face.

Nathan gave a harsh laugh. "You're damn right, you should've said something," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "How could- look at her! You-"

"Guys," Brooke said quietly. Her back was to them but they could hear her words clearly. She squeezed Peyton's hand softly, still not looking at the other two. "Please. Not here." Her voice was raw with emotion. Lucas noticed that she'd stopped shaking. "Not now."

Nathan immediately looked sorry. He gave Lucas a quick apologetic look before striding to Brooke's side and sinking into the chair beside hers. Lucas stared into space for a moment, biting his tongue, and then walked to the other side of Peyton's bed, across from Brooke and Nathan. He sank into the cushioned footrest of a large armchair in the corner. He reached up and pulled a stray curl out of Peyton's face, tucking it softly behind her ear. Her forehead felt warm and clammy. The ventilator beside her let out a loud beep and her chest rose instantly.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps and a second later Haley entered the room, shoving her phone back in her pocket. "I got her voicemail, so I called the house but nobody answered. I left a message there. I'm sure she'll check it right away." She took her place beside Lucas, glancing around for another chair. Lucas scooted to the edge of the footrest, making room for Haley. She smiled sadly and sat down beside him, giving Nathan a meaningful glance and putting a hand on Peyton's leg.

They sat in complete silence for the next half hour. They only spoke occasionally, saying things like, "Her temperature went down a bit," or, "Her blood pressure looks like its stabilizing." Lucas's eyes went to only three things in the entire room: the monitor, the clock, and Peyton's face. He kept one hand on her upper arm and the other on her side, breathing shallowly and silently praying over and over.

At some point a nurse entered the room. She gave the group a sympathetic glance when she entered and pulled out a file, reading over it slowly. She pushed her way through the grouping to Peyton's IVs, checking that each bag was full. When she finished, she stood in front of the bed, obviously trying to get their attention. The group turned their heads to her, eager for information.

"Hi, I'm Grace, I'm the nurse on duty for Peyton tonight," she said in a sweet but sincere voice. "Right now we want to run a few tests, just to see how she's responding to the medication and machines we have her on. It should only take about fifteen minutes, but unfortunately we're going to have to ask you to leave for that time." She glanced at the door, nodding to a doctor standing there. Turning back to the group, she continued. "We have couches in the waiting area for you to rest, and I know there's a coffee shop on the first floor open 24 hours if you need something to eat or drink. I'll be sure to get you the moment we're done testing."

Lucas nodded slowly, too exhausted to argue that he wanted to stay with Peyton. He got to his feet, offering his hand to help Haley up. Across the bed, Brooke dropped Peyton's hand reluctantly and allowed Nathan to pull her to her feet. They marched into the hallway slowly, glancing back at the bed before exiting the room.

"So," Nathan began. "I'm gonna get some coffee. Anybody want anything?"

Haley grabbed his arm quickly. "I'll come with," she offered sleepily. Brooke nodded in agreement and glanced at Lucas.

"You coming?"

Lucas stared at the three of them, feeling his eyes clouding over in exhaustion. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Actually, I was gonna get down to the station," he said quietly. "They wanted me there sometime tonight." Brooke nodded slowly and gave him a small smile. Haley broke away from Nathan for a second, pulling him into a tight hug, while Nathan nodded gravely. As Haley let him go, Lucas reached into his pocket for his cell phone and keys. "I'll be back," he assured them. "I don't know when but I'll definitely be here as soon as I can."

Giving Brooke, Haley, and Nathan one last smile, he turned on his heel and proceeded down the hall.

--

The questioning took two hours. It was much longer than Lucas had expected. He was sure they would ask him only a few questions, but instead he'd received a full blown interrogation. The officers he spoke to, the two from the hospital, asked him everything from the exact time Peyton had originally arrived at his house to what she was wearing the night her boyfriend had called. They were able to retrieve her attacker's phone number easily.

"This should help greatly with finding him," the female officer had told him. "We're lucky this guy was dumb enough to call without blocking out his number."

Lucas hurried out of the station, driving at least twenty over the limit in his haste to reach the hospital. He was lucky to hit only green lights. The streets seemed too quiet compared to the screaming in his mind. The sun was starting to rise by now- there was a very dull yellow glow at the edge of the horizon. He hadn't heard anything from the other three, so he was sure Peyton's condition hadn't changed.

When he entered the room, he found that Brooke was the only one there, sitting in her usual chair beside Peyton's bed, holding her hand again. He knew that Haley and Nathan were still there, though: their coats were thrown in a heap on the armchair in the corner.

"Hey," Brooke greeted him softly. "How was the questioning?"

Lucas shrugged, taking his jacket off and adding it to the pile. "Long," he replied. One glance at the monitor beside Peyton's bed told him that her condition was almost the same. He sank onto the footrest and placed his hands on Peyton's arm and side again. "Where are Nathan and Haley?"

"They went to the cafeteria," Brooke responded dully. "I would've gone with them, but I didn't want to leave her alone. The nurse suggested talking to her," she said suddenly, glancing at Peyton, "but I couldn't think of anything to say." There were heavy bags under her eyes and she looked drained. Lucas nodded, still not taking his eyes off Peyton.

There was a long stretch of silence before Brooke spoke again.

"Lucas, I'm sorry," she began. He was forced to move his eyes to her now, looking confused. She sighed heavily before continuing. "I'm sorry for going off at you…about her staying with you. I had no idea. Believe me, if I had I never would have been like that." Lucas nodded quickly, saying nothing, his eyes moving back to the bed. Brooke bit the inside of her cheek before continuing. "So," she began awkwardly, "does that mean we're okay?"

The sick feeling that had subsided in Lucas so briefly came back again. He kept his eyes on Peyton this time, trying to think of something to say to Brooke. He let out a low whistle before answering her, still not looking at her. "Brooke," he began weakly, and by his tone it was obvious he wasn't giving the answer she wanted. "It's just…everything that's happening right now…" He swallowed. "I can't. There's too much going on, with Peyton like this and…" He could feel Brooke's eyes on him and knew she was tearing up. "It's not a good time. I can't- I can't be that guy for you. You understand that, right?" There was a stunned silence following his words. He paused, feeling uncomfortable, waiting for her to reply.

"Yeah, I understand," she said after a long moment, but it couldn't be clearer from the upset tone of her voice that she didn't understand at all. Lucas refused to look up but he could tell immediately that she was near tears again. He heard her get to her feet quickly, grabbing her purse. "I think I'm gonna get something to eat," she said shakily. "Now that you're here I guess I can leave for a bit. Do you want me to grab you anything?"

Lucas got to his feet, ready to take Brooke's seat on Peyton's other side. He tried to avoid looking at her. "Maybe some coffee," he said, walking around the bed to the other chair. Brooke nodded, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. Lucas sank into the chair, leaning against it and stretching his back.

"I have my phone," Brooke told him. "So if anything goes wrong, just call." She backed away from him, toward the door, visibly embarrassed and eager to leave the room. "I shouldn't be gone too long. See you in a bit." Lucas heard her push past the curtains in front of the door, her footsteps disappearing down the hallway.

It was now just Lucas and Peyton in the silent room. He leaned forward in the chair, grasping her hand lightly in his own and squeezing it. He remembered what Brooke had said, about talking to Peyton. He opened his mouth, and then closed it quickly, unsure of what to say. A confused expression came over his face. It was the first time he could remember that he couldn't think of anything to say to Peyton. To make up for his lack of words, he wrapped his other hand around hers and dropped his chin against her arm lightly.

"Hey there," he began in a quiet voice. He stuttered slightly, feeling embarrassed and unsure of what to say next. "How're you doing?" He paused again, mentally kicking himself for the habitual question. Sighing, he squeezed her hand tighter. "You have to pull through, okay Peyton? You've just gotta keep trying. I know you can do this." It was amazing how difficult it was to speak to her when she couldn't hear anything he was saying. He thought that if he ever had a moment like this he would say everything he'd been too afraid to say before. "I'm sorry," he told her, a burning feeling at the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I turned my car around. I wanted to come back and talk to you. But then I told myself you wouldn't want to see me, so I turned back around. I could've been there." He barely noticed that tears were streaming down his cheeks. "_I'm sorry."_ Peyton's chest rose and fell greatly as the machine beside her let out a loud noise. Her heart rate, which had been quick and shallow all night, began to slow to normal. Lucas blinked the tears out of his eyes, pulled her hand to his face, and kissed it. He gave her a small smile.

"You know, I lied to you," he told her, and his tone seemed bittersweet. "When we kissed today, I told you I was sorry. I lied." Peyton's blood pressure began to rise slowly, nearing healthy. Lucas wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he thought he saw a small smile playing on her lips. He put a hand on her cheek. "I'm not sorry at all. Not for a second. And I really wish you would pull through so that I could tell you that. So that I could do it again." He reached up and stroked her hair, his heart pounding.

"I need you to pull through, Peyton."


	17. Chapter 17

**Updation? I think so. :)**

**P.S. Pirates 3 ruled!**

Lucas sat in that same position for fifteen more minutes, both hands tightly clasped around Peyton's, his eyes not leaving her face. Brooke, Haley, and Nathan still hadn't returned, and the only person to enter the room was a nurse checking Peyton's vitals. Sunlight was slowing pouring in through the windows. Lucas squinted his eyes against the light, refusing to stand up for even a second to close the blinds. He had the strangest sense that being next to Peyton was making her stronger.

A while later he heard the sound of footsteps, and then a small knock on the door outside the room. Lucas turned in his seat, still holding Peyton's hand tightly, to see his mother standing in the doorway. Her face was flushed, her hair messy, the visitor's badge lopsided on her jacket. Karen gave Lucas a loving look and hurried into the room. He reluctantly dropped Peyton's hand, got to his feet, and wrapped his arms around his mom.

"Oh, Luke," Karen whispered. "I'm so sorry. I got home late and went straight to bed." She wrapped her arms around him more tightly. "When I woke up, I checked the machine and listened to Haley's message…I got here as fast as I could-"

"It's okay, mom," Lucas soothed, pulling away from his mother. "I'm really glad you're here." Putting his hands on her shoulders, he gave her a sad smile, his eyes searching her face.

Karen glanced over Lucas's shoulders to the hospital bed. It was clear that Peyton was in a bad state from the numerous tubes going in and out of her body. She approached the bed slowly, Lucas close behind her. "Is she okay?" Karen whispered, placing a hand on Peyton's head.

Lucas shrugged, digging his hands in his pockets again. "They're not sure yet," he replied sadly, sitting in his usual spot beside her bed. He reached up and grasped her hand again. It was noticeably warmer than before. "But she's doing better than before. Her fever is down and her vitals are starting to stabilize. The nurse said they might take her off the ventilator," he added, as the machine beside him let out a loud noise and Peyton's chest rose heavily.

Karen placed a comforting hand on her son's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she assured him. "Peyton's a strong girl, Luke." She watched as he gulped and nodded slowly.

"Karen?"

Lucas and Karen turned around to see Haley, Brooke, and Nathan standing in the doorway. Haley gave a small smile and hurried over, wrapping her arms around Karen in a tight embrace. Brooke stepped in, handing a large cup of coffee to Lucas and waiting to greet Karen also. Lucas noticed that her eyes quickly flashed to his hand in Peyton's, but was relieved that she didn't look upset by it at all. Nathan smiled at Karen, but instead of greeting her retreated to Lucas's side and began inspecting the screen above Peyton's bed.

"She's doing better," he commented, his eyes moving from the blood pressure numbers to the temperature at the bottom of the screen. He glanced at Lucas. "Have you spoken to any doctors?" Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but someone interrupted him.

"Not yet."

The whole group turned to the door to see fairly young man in a white coat standing there. He gave them a warm smiled and stepped into the room, picking up the chart at the foot of Peyton's bed and scanning it. "It seems Ms. Sawyer has been through quite an ordeal," he murmured, placing a finger on the sheet to mark his spot. He glanced at her vitals and smiled. "But I'm pleased to see that her condition has vastly improved. I've spoken with her nurse and I believe we can take her off the ventilator at this point."

Karen had a slightly troubled look on her face. "Is that safe?" she asked, concerned.

The doctor nodded. "Ms. Sawyer-"

"Peyton," Lucas corrected him quietly.

"_Peyton,_" the man continued, smiling at Lucas with twinkling eyes, "is capable of breathing on her own. We only had her on the ventilator to be careful because of the puncture in her lung. We wanted to be sure that her vitals were stable before letting her breathe for herself." He glanced back at the screen again, marking a few things on the sheet in front of him.

Behind Lucas, Brooke cleared her throat loudly. "Can you take her off the medications?" she asked tentatively. "To wake her up?"

The doctor bit his lip and hesitated for a moment. "We'd prefer not to at the moment," he began slowly, as though trying to think of the best way to put it. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Peyton's body is still suffering from the attack. She hasn't even had the chance to breathe on her own yet. We'd first like to see how she does without the ventilator. If she continues to do well, we'll start getting her to wake up." He glanced at the door, nodding to a few nurses assembled there. They stepped into the room, wheeling a cart in behind them. The doctor turned back to the group. "We're going to have to ask you to leave the room while we take her off the ventilator. It shouldn't take long at all. You can even wait right outside if you'd like."

Karen, Haley, and Brooke nodded quickly and began walking to the door. Nathan glanced at Lucas briefly before following suit. Once in the doorway, he turned and called, "Are you coming?" Lucas gave Peyton's hand another tight squeeze, getting to his feet slowly.

"She'll be fine, right?" he asked the doctor, not taking his eyes off her. He could feel a pang in his heart at the thought of leaving her bedside again, even for a few minutes.

The doctor nodded. "She'll be fine," he repeated. "You have no reason to worry. She's in good hands." He reached out and grasped Lucas's shoulder briefly, then gave a small smile and moved to Peyton's bed.

Lucas glanced back at Peyton for a moment, his heart pounding. He sighed greatly, crossing his arms, and walked slowly out of the room. Right outside the door he found the other four assembled. Nathan was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Brooke beside him. Haley and Karen were whispering to each other but stopped the moment they saw Lucas. A frightened look appeared on Haley's face, and she scrambled to lean against the wall beside Nathan. Lucas raised his eyebrows at her, then leaned against the wall opposite them and put his hands in his pockets.

"Lucas," Karen began hesitantly. "I need to ask you something." She glanced briefly at Haley, who nodded encouragingly. Lucas began kicking his feet noisily against the floor. Karen gave him a warning look. "I-_We_ want to know exactly what's been going on with Peyton."

Lucas immediately stopped kicking his feet and looked up. Across the hall, Nathan, Brooke, and Haley were staring at him apprehensively. Karen kept glancing between her son and the other group. Lucas swallowed. "What?"

"We talked about it in the cafeteria," Haley said. She ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I know you're trying to protect her, but we're her friends too. We want to know the whole story." She paused, biting her lip. "This is a big deal." Next to her, Nathan and Brooke both nodded.

Lucas crossed his arms again and glanced at the door to Peyton's room. Inside he could hear the nurses moving around loudly and talking to one another. He could tell it would be a while before they were let back in. He looked back at the other three. They hadn't taken their eyes off of him. Swallowing heavily, he opened his mouth. "I don't-"

"Luke, come on," Nathan said. "We have a right to know."

"Okay." He stood up straighter, uncrossing his arms and dropping them to his side awkwardly. Karen put a comforting hand on his arm. He glanced at the door again before continuing. "She showed up on Saturday. It was…maybe three in the morning. She was…she wasn't okay." The other four were all hanging on his words. He hadn't had any trouble recounting the entire situation with the police, but he was finding it very difficult to tell people he knew. He swallowed. "She had injuries. A black eye and a few bruises and was really upset. She asked to stay the night, so of course I let her. She wouldn't tell me what happened at first. She was just denying it." He found himself staring at the floor again, refusing to look in the others' eyes. "But then- she just broke down. I could tell she wasn't okay. So when she asked me not to tell anyone, I promised I wouldn't."

He saw Haley shifted uncomfortably. "You still could've said something," she began quietly, but Lucas cut her off.

"No, I couldn't have, and I don't regret keeping quiet." He gave her a hard stare back. "Peyton came to me for help. She needed someone there for her the most. I wasn't about to betray her trust. I would never do that." He inhaled deeply, trying to shake off the defensive tone. After a moment he continued his story, this time sounding much more calm and collected. "On Sunday, she wanted to see you." He nodded at Brooke. She stood up straighter and nodded back at him. "I didn't think she'd come back to my place, but she did."

Brooke cut him off this time. "She-she slept at your place?" she asked, and Lucas noticed that she sounded slightly hurt. "We were planning a sleepover-"

Lucas felt a slight pang of annoyance at Brooke's words. It was all he could do to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Biting his tongue, he tried to keep his tone level. "Don't take it personally, Brooke. Peyton just wasn't up to it. She'd been having a really rough time." He glanced at Brooke and saw her open her mouth quickly, obviously ready to retort. He plunged on quickly. "Anyway, it was after school on Monday when I got the call from her boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend," he corrected himself quickly. "He left a message on the machine asking for her and then called again. I told him to leave her alone."

"Why would you do that?" Nathan asked. "Why would you let him know where she was?" He saw Haley give Nathan a warning look.

Lucas sighed heavily. "I don't know why I did it." He paused again, trying to think. "I guess…I guess I just wanted to protect her. I wanted him to know that if he tried to come after her, he'd have to deal with me first." At this point, a wave of guilt came over him. He felt a burning feeling at the back of his throat. There was a long moment of silence before he continued. "But then- last night…" He paused again. He wasn't sure where to begin with the others about what had occurred the night before. Should he explain why he wasn't with Peyton when she was attacked? Was it necessary to tell them why he had left her side so quickly? Should he really fess up to the kiss? Across the hall, Nathan gave an impatient grunt. Lucas bit the inside of his cheek before continuing. "We were at the court when I left to talk to Brooke. I didn't think it would be too long, so I let Peyton stay there. I didn't think anything would happen-"

"We were on our way home," Haley said quietly. She grabbed Nathan's hand impulsively, but she was looking at Lucas. "We passed the court and we saw police and someone lying on the ground. The second we got out of the car, I knew it was her. That's when I called you."

Lucas opened his mouth, feeling the urge to say something, but he couldn't get anything out. He had explained exactly what had occurred, just as they had asked, but for some reason it didn't feel right. It seemed like something was missing, like there was something he should be saying. He opened and closed his mouth slowly, staring at the ceiling without really seeing it. Beside him, Karen squeezed his arm supportively.

It was a few minutes later that a nurse stuck her head out the door. She was smiling in a kind fashion. "We're finished. You can come back in the room now." She gave them a beckoning sort of nod before disappearing behind the door again.

The five gathered outside the door all jumped. Each had been trapped in their own world. It seemed to have slipped their minds momentarily that they were in the hospital, waiting outside the room of someone they loved. Lucas stared at the door for a second, looking confused, and blinked. From what seemed like a mile away, he heard Brooke say, "C'mon, let's go." After a short moment of hesitation, he hurried inside the room.

Brooke stopped tentatively in front of the seat beside Peyton's bed, the one Lucas had been sitting in earlier. She was about to sit in it when she glanced at him. Giving him a small smile, she stepped to the other side of the bed and took a seat beside Haley. Lucas gave her a short but thankful nod, then sank into the chair and grabbed Peyton's hand in his again. It was shocking how much easier it was to see her without the ventilator. He found himself smiling to see her chest rising and falling in a normal fashion.

They stayed exactly where they were for the hour, rarely speaking. But this time, it wasn't a cold or scared silence. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths, silently rejoicing in the fact that she seemed to be getting better every moment. They had been on the edges of their seats the entire night, but now they felt calm and relaxed.

At some point, the doctor entered the room again, a pleased smile on his face. "She's doing really well," he commented, inspecting the screen above her bed. He pulled out her chart and began scribbling away, then whispered something to the nurse beside him. She nodded quickly and pushed her way to Peyton's bedside, where her IV bags were.

Brooke gave the doctor a surprised look, and he smiled at her. "We're going to start taking her off the medication," he said. "Some, not all of it, but enough that she might start to come around again. We'll have to wait and see."

Brooke smiled back, and it was obvious she was holding back tears. "Thank you," she whispered. She smiled across the bed at Lucas and placed a hand on Peyton's arm.

It was twenty minutes after that when Karen got to her feet. "I think I should get going, she said, swinging her purse over her shoulder. She glanced at Lucas. "Peyton seems to be doing better, so I think its okay for me to get back home. Call me if anything changes." She walked to Lucas's side of the bed, leaned down, and pulled him into a hug. "I love you," she told him.

"Love you, too," Lucas said, hugging his mom back, his hand still clasped around Peyton's.

And then, quite suddenly, he felt something. A small tug on his hand. He pulled away from his mom quickly and glanced at Peyton. Her eyes were still closed, her face set in the same way it had been the entire night. She had not changed at all, yet he couldn't shake the thought that she'd just squeezed his hand. Karen raised her eyebrows at him, glancing between him and Peyton. The other three were looking mildly interested.

Lucas sat forward in his seat. "Peyton?" he said quickly, and he noticed that his heart was pounding heavily again. "Can you hear me?" His eyes searched her face, waiting for some sign that she knew he was there, but she remained still as ever. He wrapped his hand tighter in hers. Across from him, Brooke, Nathan, and Haley were giving him raised eyebrows, concerned but confused. Lucas ignored them. "Peyton," he began, "if you can hear me, squeeze my hand. Okay?"

For a moment it was completely silent. And then Lucas felt it. Peyton squeezed his hand. Rather weakly, it was true, but it was still something. A wide grin immediately appeared on his face, and he even let out a shaky laugh. Across the bed, Haley threw her arms around Nathan. Brooke let out a small laugh too, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on Peyton's forehead.

Lucas placed one hand on Peyton's head, gently brushing her hair out of her face, a genuine smile on his face. "You're gonna be okay," he told her, and for the first time in hours he truly believed it.


	18. Chapter 18

**OKAY I am so sorry about the no-update-for-over-a-month deal. But I do have an explanation! After my last update I knew I wouldn't be updating for 2 weeks just because of final exams (considering over half my grades depended on the exam). After that I just got caught up in the first week of summer- you know, the warm weather and lack of school/homework/evil teachers. I planned to update after that, but then things got sort of rough. There was a death in my immediate family and I just sort of lost track of this whole thing. It wasn't until recently, when I was checking my e-mail, that I noticed a review alert from and I remembered this story. So now I am updating! Better late than never, right?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. I'll get the next chapter up…sometime within the next week. I know it won't be tomorrow night. I'm going to see Harry Potter YEAH! Haha! But maybe Wednesday or Thursday night.**

**So enjoy!**

Two hours had passed with no real change. Peyton would occasionally squeeze Lucas's hand, but other than that she remained completely still. He told himself that she was just taking her time to recover, that she was going to be perfectly fine. At some point, Nathan, Haley, and Brooke got up to leave, each eager to return to their homes and shower.

"Promise to call us if anything happens, okay?" Haley asked, wrapping her arms around Lucas in a tight embrace. Next to her, Brooke was smiling down at Peyton, a hand on her head, while Nathan glanced through the chart at the edge of her bed.

Lucas grinned back. "Of course I'll call," he told her, pulling away and holding her at arms length. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Are you coming right back?"

Haley glanced at Nathan quickly. He gave her a swift nod, glancing at Peyton first and then smiling at Lucas. Haley turned back to him. "Yeah, we should. I just want to take a shower, maybe take a nap." She turned to Brooke now, who was still leaning over Peyton. "What about you?"

Brooke glanced up, one hand still on Peyton's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm coming right back," she said quickly. "I'm just gonna shower and grab something to eat." She bent down to grab her purse, giving Lucas a somewhat worried glance. "What about you, Luke?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was gonna ask about you myself," Nathan chimed in. He put Peyton's chart down and began walking toward Lucas, looking concerned. "You should take a break, man," he told him, and Brooke and Haley both nodded silently. "You haven't eaten anything, haven't slept. We'll get back here as fast as we can, and then you should go."

Lucas sighed, crossing his arms. "I'm fine," he said. But truthfully, he felt extremely exhausted, and noticed that if he stood up too fast he became rather dizzy. He chose to ignore this, giving Nathan a hard glare. "Seriously, I feel perfectly fine," he repeated. "I'm gonna stay here until she wakes up and nothing's gonna change that."

Haley placed a soft hand on his arm. She was giving him a sympathetic look, a small smile on her face. "Luke, we're just worried about you," she told him quietly. "I know you want to take care of Peyton, but you've got to take care of yourself too. Don't forget about yourself. Sometimes it's okay to be a little selfish." She gave him a loving smile and pulled him into another quick hug before stepping toward the door.

Nathan pulled Lucas into a fast one-armed hug. "See you later," he said, hitting his brother lightly on the back.

"Bye, then," Brooke said, stepping forward to hug Lucas. It was a bit awkward, but none more than he had expected. Brooke pulled away rather quickly. "Don't forget to call." She hurried to the door, gave one last glance at Peyton's motionless form, and slowly exited the room, Haley in front of her and Nathan behind.

Lucas let out a heavy, tired sigh and turned back to Peyton's bed. Her eyes were closed lightly, her face still as it had been the whole night. He dropped back into the seat next to her, and feeling rather restless, reached for the remote and turned on the television. There was nothing interesting on, but Lucas felt his eyes becoming droopy and forced himself to focus on what he was watching to stay awake. Beside him, Peyton let out a small, quiet moan and shifted slightly, before falling silent once more.

Lucas paused on a music channel, which was showing the video for some dated Britney Spears song. He found himself laughing quietly, shaking his head as he compared the music blasting in his ears to that of Peyton's taste. "Great music, isn't it?" he said aloud, his eyes still on the screen.

"Stop."

Lucas jumped, his eyes wide in shock, and turned his head quickly to the right, almost snapping his neck in the process. He felt his heart stop. Peyton was lying flat on her back, just as she had been the entire night, but now…_her eyes were open. _She was staring at the ceiling, her eyes rather clouded, and a slightly confused look on her face, but she was awake nonetheless. Lucas jumped from his chair and found himself almost kneeling beside Peyton's bed, his left hand wrapped in hers again, his right stroking her hair.

"Peyton?" he asked, and his voice quavered a little when he spoke. He was silent for a moment, and in that time her eyes began to close. "Hey!" he shouted, and her eyes snapped open again. "Stay with me, okay? Stay awake. I'm right here." Peyton didn't say anything, but he could tell from the way her eyes widened that she understood what he had said. He reached above her bed and hit the call button. Peyton gave a small, wheezy cough.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly, and he mentally kicked himself for such a stupid question. "Can I get you anything?"

Peyton didn't say anything for a moment. Her eyes darted around the room, a panicked expression taking over her face. Her lips were dry and cracked and seemed to be glued together. She opened them slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Thirsty."

"Okay," Lucas said quickly, squeezing her hand. "Okay, I'll get you some water. Don't worry, everything will be okay, I promise." He straightened up and released Peyton's hand. He turned to see a young nurse with dark hair striding into the room, looking rather bored.

"What's the problem?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

Lucas smiled in spite of himself. "There's no problem," he said quickly, glancing down at Peyton again. Her eyes were still open and had now moved to him. "She's awake." He winked at Peyton without realizing it, and watched as she gave a small smile back.

The nurse's eyes widened. "Oh," she said, and her voice was suddenly more alert. "Well, that's terrific!" She snapped on her gloves and hurried to the bedside, snatching the clipboard from the edge of the bed as she went. Peyton looked slightly startled, her eyes wide and her breathing heavier, but Lucas put his hand on her shoulder and she calmed. "Hello, Peyton," the woman said. "My name is Laura. It looks like you've been through quite an ordeal, but we're very glad to see that you're awake." She glanced quickly at the screen and smiled. "Your vitals all seem very healthy, which is good. I'd like to check you over quickly and then page your doctor." She turned to Lucas. "You're welcome to stay if you want," she informed him.

Lucas glanced at Peyton, who gave him pleading eyes. "Yeah, of course I'll stay," he replied quickly, without looking up. Peyton gave another dry cough. "Um, she said she was thirsty," he told Laura. "Can she have a glass of water?"

The nurse glanced at him. "Not at the moment," she replied. "We want to make sure she's able to swallow properly. She's receiving fluids, so we don't have to worry about dehydration, but if her mouth is dry I can swab it with water."

Peyton gave Lucas disappointed eyes, and he returned an apologetic smile. "Yeah, that sounds good," he said. "Sorry Peyt, no water for you just yet." He reached up and gently ruffled her hair, at which she gave him a friendly glare through her tired eyes.

Laura bustled around for a few more minutes, checking everything from Peyton's throat to her IV bags, all without saying another word. Lucas took a seat next to Peyton and talked with her in a low voice. Though her throat was too dry to say anything, she responded to him in her own ways, often raising her eyebrows or widening her eyes, despite her obvious exhaustion. After a few minutes the nurse swabbed her mouth, just as she said she would, and Lucas was forced to deal with the annoyed and slightly angry stare Peyton gave him at her lack of a real drink of water. "It's not my fault!" he exclaimed loudly, to which she just rolled her eyes slowly before closing them, determined for a bit of rest.

"Well Peyton," the nurse began, "everything seems to be okay. I'm going to page your doctor and he'll be up to explain your condition. Right now you're probably looking at the rest of the week in the hospital, as well as some physical therapy." She gave them each a small nod and smile before turning and exiting the room.

The room was oddly silent after she left. Peyton kept her eyes closed, but Lucas could tell she was still awake from the unevenness of her breathing. His hand found its way back to hers, holding it lightly, his other hand resting under his chin. His eyes refused to leave her face, watching her every movement, from the way her lips parted to the way her eyelids twitched ever so slightly. After a long moment, Peyton broke the silence.

"What happened to me?" she asked, her voice very quiet and her words spaced by heavy breaths. Her eyes were open now, gazing at the ceiling with an odd and slightly eerie blank stare.

Lucas's eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he found himself pulling his hand away from hers. The question left his ears ringing. He was utterly stunned. He had not expected this at all- had not expected her to ask this question, and had not expected her to not remember the situation that had led her here in the first place. _What do I say? _He realized he was wringing his hands together now, his mouth agape, an unsure and hesitant expression on his face.

"I…don't really know what happened," he answered honestly. "I was hoping you could tell me." He swallowed heavily and grabbed her hand swiftly, squeezing it in support.

Peyton closed her eyes again, and he could tell that she was running over her last memories from the way her eyebrows furrowed. After a few moments, she said weakly, "I don't…"

"Its okay," Lucas said hurriedly, placing a hand on her forehead and pulling a strand of hair off her face. "You'll remember eventually. It doesn't matter right now." He gave her a small smile, even though her eyes were closed, and stroked her hair lightly.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps, and a second later Doctor Cruse from the previous night entered the room. At the noise Peyton opened her eyes, and seeing the doctor she even tried to sit up a bit, but found herself too weak and tired. Lucas placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The doctor looked utterly exhausted, more so than Lucas, making it apparent that he too had been at the hospital the entire night. He gave Lucas a small smile, his eyes twinkling. He then turned to Peyton and gave her a smile as well. "Hello Ms. Sawyer," he said. "Can I first say what a relief it is to see you awake. You certainly are a strong girl, and I'm sure all your friends are very happy to have you back." Peyton merely shrugged, her heavily-lidded eyes now on the light pink bed sheets. Doctor Cruse cleared his throat loudly before continuing. "Ms. Sawyer, I'm here to inform you on your injuries and your current state. You were admitted here late last night, with three broken ribs, a punctured lung, internal bleeding in the abdomen, minor brain swelling, and a shattered wrist."

Peyton glanced up at him, her eyes wide and fearful. She let out a soft, "What?" before glancing at Lucas, panic etched into her face. Lucas found himself avoiding her eyes and simply squeezed her hand, looking anywhere but her.

The doctor shifted uncomfortably, obviously feeling slightly awkward informing such a young girl about her horrific injuries. "We operated immediately," he said, his voice hoarse, "and were able to reverse many of the problems. We stopped the bleeding, wrapped your wrist, and placed you on a ventilator for breathing- which is the reason you're probably experiencing pain in your throat." He waited for Peyton's response- a curt nod- before continuing. "At the current time you are off the ventilator, obviously, and breathing fine. The swelling in your brain is down. Your vitals are all stable, and there's no reason to believe there will be any lasting damage." This information, at least, was much more comforting to give. He gave Peyton a toothy grin, which she returned with half-smile. "You should be able to go home by the end of the week."

Lucas got to his feet and shook the doctor's hand. "I can't thank you enough," he said in a relived voice. "You saved her life. Thank you"

Doctor Cruse gave a small laugh. "Well, it's my job," he joked. "And you are very welcome. I'm just thankful that Ms. Sawyer pulled through so well." He turned to Peyton, his eyes twinkling again behind his glasses. "I won't be back until tomorrow, but I'll be sure to check in on you." Peyton gave him a small nod and a quiet, "Thank you," in response. The doctor gave Lucas one last smile before exiting the room.

As soon as he had left, Peyton slumped back against the pillows, exhausted. Her eyes closed again as she breathed in deeply, moving her legs slowly into a more comfortable condition.

"So I guess it's just you and me now," Lucas said gently, taking his seat beside her bed. He reached for her hand again and she wrapped her fingers around his immediately. He smiled at her again and leaned in, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "That's not so bad, is it?"

"Not bad at all," she replied sleepily.


	19. Chapter 19

**Eek! Sorry no update the last few days…guess who got the stomach flu? gag Absolutely disgusting. But there's an update now, so yay!**

**Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be updating the rest of the week. I'm trying to avoid the computer/internet/media as much as I can, and I fear that if I even log into I could stumble across a spoiler for the final HP book (something I'm anticipating more than LIFE ITSELF lol). I'm keep a safe distance from anything that could ruin this for me. I'll be getting the book at midnight on Friday and I'll be finished by early Saturday morning (I'm pulling an all-nighter), but for a few days after that I'll probably be in 'OMFG' mode about the book, so there might not be an update for a while. But who knows, maybe I will update this week.**

**Alrighty then…read away.**

Ten minutes later Peyton had fallen into a quite restless sleep. Lucas had moved to the armchair beside her bed, watching her squirm and murmur incoherently, wondering what in the world was making her so uncomfortable. He assumed she was dreaming about the attack, and as horrible as it sounded, he was a little glad she was. He was sure if she dreamed about it she would remember it, and he could finally get the whole story on what had occurred the night before.

Peyton gave a small cough and muttered something that sounded like, "Stop." As she began to squirm again, Lucas placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and whispered soothingly, trying his best to calm her. After a few moments she fell still, her breathing becoming slow and steady again.

"You're okay," he whispered, still rubbing his hand up and down her arm. Noticing that she had calmed down, he sighed heavily and sat back against the chair. Twenty-four hours without sleep or a decent meal was finally starting to take a toll on Lucas. All night he'd deliberately put himself in uncomfortable positions just to ensure that he'd stay awake, but now he found himself lounging comfortably against the soft cloth that covered the chair, his eyes beginning to droop.

"Lucas Scott!"

Lucas's eyes flew open as a voice like a dagger ripped through the quiet room. He glanced at the door sleepily, his head pounding, wondering angrily who had yelled. But upon seeing who was in the door, he felt his eyes widen and immediately got to his feet.

Brooke stood in the doorway, but it was not merely the sight of her that had caused Lucas's reaction. It was rather the look on her face- one he'd seen many times before and knew all too well. Her dark eyes were narrowed, her forehead scrunched, her lips pursed and her cheeks sucked in every so slightly. She had her hand on her hips, her handbag swinging from on wrist, her shoulders at level with her chin. Lucas could tell in one glance that Brooke was angry- and clearly, it was with him.

Lucas pushed the armchair behind him a bit and began to step toward Brooke, looking apprehensive. "Hey, what's up-" he began, but the moment she opened her mouth, his voice faltered.

"She woke up?"

Brooke's voice was deadly quiet, and she stomped into the room, throwing her bag onto the floor, still glaring at him.

Lucas immediately felt his stomach drop. _Shit. _He knew he'd been forgetting something. He opened his mouth to speak, to try and explain, but she cut him off again.

"I asked one thing!" Brooke's voice rose to a yell now, and Lucas found himself putting a finger to his mouth, trying to shush her, while nodding his head back at Peyton's sleeping form. Brooke paid him no attention. "All I asked was for you to call me if anything happened! But no, you couldn't even do that! I had to have the nurse tell me before I came in here! She's my goddamn best friend, Luke, and you couldn't even call me?"

Lucas held his hands up as though trying to reason with her. "I'm sorry," he began, and he made sure to keep his voice down, once again nodding his head back at Peyton's bed. "I should've called, but in the mess of everything I forgot. I'm really sorry," he said again, and he truly meant it. Even though she was only showing anger, Lucas could tell that Brooke was truly as concerned as he was.

Brooke stared at him for a few moments, giving no reaction to anything he'd said. Instead, she continued in a low voice, "How long ago did she wake up?"

Lucas shrugged. "Half an hour?" he replied, to which Brooke's eyebrows rose and she opened her mouth to argue again, but he cut her off this time. "And obviously she's back asleep now," he said quickly, emphasizing each word but still being careful to keep his voice down, "so you really should keep your voice down."

He watched as she shut her mouth, pursing her lips again, her jaw tightening. She seemed to be struggling with herself, and whether she should continue to yell at him or let it go. After a moment she smacked her lips apart and let out a loud sigh, her expression softening. "Okay," she said quietly. "I'm just glad she's okay." And without saying another word to him, she hurried to Peyton's bedside, sinking into the chair beside it and placing a hand on the other girl's arm. Keeping her eyes on Peyton, she added, "But could you call Nathan and Haley to let them know?"

Lucas nodded without any thought, and then realizing she wasn't looking at him said, "Yeah, sure," in a soft voice. He reached into his pocket for his phone, but then remembered that it was still at the police station. "Can I use your phone?" he asked Brooke. She nodded toward her purse, which was thrown haphazardly on the hard floor near the door, and he hurried over to it, searching the various pockets for almost a full minute before finding it.

Exiting the room quietly, he began punching in Haley's cell number. It rang nearly five before she picked it up, sounding a little out of breath. "What's up?"

"Hey Hales," Lucas began, and he was about to continue talking but Haley spoke up.

"Oh my God, Luke!" she exclaimed, and he heard her yell for Nathan before putting the phone back to her ear. "Is it Peyton? Is she okay?" In the background he could hear the sound of a shower being turned off and a door being thrown open.

Lucas found himself smiling. "Yeah, she's fine," he began. "She's great actually- she woke up about half an hour ago." On the other end, he heard Haley begin to yell about him informing her so late, but spoke over her. "Brooke's already yelled at me about forgetting to call and I'm sorry. I was just caught up in the moment. Anyway, Peyton's asleep now, she was really tired, but hurry over here. She'll be really happy to see you guys when she wakes up."

There was a brief silence, but in the background Lucas was sure he could hear Haley giving Nathan a swift kiss. When she spoke again, she sounded positively ecstatic. "Oh, thank God," she said, "I was so worried. Nathan and I'll be over there in like fifteen minutes. See you then!"

"Yeah, see you-" Lucas began, but she'd already hung up.

He closed the phone softly, curling his hand around it, and turned on his heel back toward the room. He was a few inches away from the door when he heard voices from inside. Stopping in his tracks, Lucas glanced around the empty hall quickly, pursing his lips. The door of the room was open, covered halfway by a thin curtain. He leaned toward the cloth slightly, straining to hear what was being said inside.

"…wasn't here when you woke up." Brooke was speaking- he could tell from her usually raspy voice. She sounded a little upset.

"Don't, it wasn't a big deal. It's not like I was alone." Despite the fact that her voice was quiet and hoarse, Lucas could immediately tell it was Peyton. From the way she sounded, he could tell the two had been talking for at least a few minutes.

There was a brief silence. A young doctor in a white coat passed by Lucas in the hall- he straightened up and nodded at the man, giving a small smile, before leaning in to hear more of the conversation. The guilt of eavesdropping was already eating at his stomach, but he ignored it.

It seemed he hadn't missed anything- after a few seconds Brooke continued the talk. "Yeah, that's good…at least you had Luke. Was it…nice? Him being here for you, I mean?" She seemed to be choosing her words wisely, and despite what she was saying, her voice carried no hint of accusation; she sounded genuinely concerned.

Peyton, however, responded with an exasperated sigh. "Brooke," she said, her voice sounding like it hadn't been used in years.

Brooke cut across her. "No, Peyton, it's not a big deal," she began, and there was a slight pleading in her tone now. "Really, I don't care. He and I…we ended things last night, it just doesn't work for us, but you two-"

"Brooke, stop it," Peyton repeated, and she sounded utterly frustrated now more than ever. A long silence followed her words and Lucas found himself leaning even closer to the room, straining to hear every last breath from the two. His heart was racing, the sound of it pounding in his ears. He had a strangely empty feeling in his stomach.

"Peyton," Brooke started, and her voice was very gentle now. "I just want you to be happy. _Both _of you. And if this is what makes you happy then I'm fine with it."

There was another pause, and Lucas's heart was pounding more than ever now, waiting to hear a response from Peyton, but a loud voice sounded in his ear like a horn.

"Sir? What are you doing?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin. Turning sideways, Lucas found himself face-to-face with a stern looking woman. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight knot at the base of her neck and her thick-rimmed glasses had a silver chain hanging below her ears on each side. She was staring at Lucas with a confused and slightly angry expression, one hand on her hip. Inside the room, Lucas was sure he heard one of the girls gasp.

"Ah," he stuttered, "I was just about to go inside. Didn't want to interrupt anything." When the woman continued to stare, he smacked his lips loudly and gestured toward the entrance. "So I'll be going in now…to see my friend." He nodded awkwardly, gave the woman a forced smile, and hurried into the room, his face bright red.

Peyton and Brooke were both staring at him now. Peyton had her head resting against her pillows, which had been propped up a bit. Her mouth was open a bit in surprise but her eyes still looked tired. Brooke, however, had her mouth hanging open, her eyes extremely wide, looking both shocked and annoyed.

Lucas gave them both an awkward smile, stepping forward to hand Brooke her phone. She took it from him quickly, placing it in her lap, still staring at him with wide eyes. "I, uh, spoke to Haley," he told them. "She and Nathan will be here soon."

"Oh." Brooke quickly rearranged her face and nodded. "Well, that's good, right Peyton? I'll bet you're excited to see them."

Peyton nodded slowly, now doing her best to avoid Lucas's eyes. She turned her head away from him and shut her eyes, breathing in heavily. He stared at her for a moment, wondering if he should say something, but bit his tongue. Instead he found himself glancing back at Brooke, who also avoided her eyes and quickly got to her feet.

"Peyton?" she said softly, leaning over the bed. "I'm gonna go ask the nurse about that glass of water you asked for. Maybe you can have some now." She gave her friend a quick peck on the forehead. Straightening up, she gave Lucas a short but meaningful glance before leaving the room.

Lucas watched her leave the room before sinking into the chair she'd been sitting in before. He watched Peyton; he could tell immediately from the unevenness of her breathing that she was awake, but didn't say anything. He just continued to look at her, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath, her fingers tapping against the bar on her hospital bed with a slight rhythm.

And as guilty as it made him feel, he found his mind wandering back to the previous evening. Before the hospital. Before the phone call. Before he jumped in his car to meet Brooke at his house.

To the exact moment when his lips had been touching hers.


End file.
